Ranchi: The seat-sharing formula for the upcoming assembly elections in Jharkhand was revealed on Saturday by Chief Minister Hemant Soren. However, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), led by Lalu Prasad Yadav, has voiced dissatisfaction with the arrangement, leaving the possibility of contesting the elections independently open.
During a press conference held at his official residence, Soren, accompanied by Jharkhand Congress in-charge Ghulam Ahmed Mir and other senior leaders, announced that the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Congress would contest 70 of the 81 seats. The remaining 11 seats will be shared among the RJD and Left parties.
“We have expanded our alliance to include the Left parties. The JMM and Congress will contest the majority of seats, with the remaining being allocated to the RJD and CPI-ML,” Soren explained during the briefing.
While Soren did not provide the specific seat distribution among the alliance partners, it is expected that further details will be disclosed soon.
Background and Seat Distribution
In the 2019 assembly elections, the JMM, Congress, and RJD formed a pre-poll alliance. The seat distribution at that time allocated 43 seats to JMM, 31 to Congress, and 7 to RJD. The alliance secured a majority, winning 47 seats in total—JMM with 30, Congress with 16, and RJD with just one seat. Now, ahead of the 2024 polls, the alliance has expanded to include the CPI-ML under the INDIA bloc.
While the detailed breakdown of seats for the 2024 elections has not been fully disclosed, sources suggest that JMM will contest 41 seats, Congress will fight in 29, while RJD and CPI-ML have been offered 7 and 4 seats, respectively.
RJD’s Discontent
The RJD has openly expressed discontent with the seat-sharing announcement. Senior RJD leader and Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha criticized the decision, calling it a unilateral move. He further emphasized that all options, including contesting the elections independently, remain on the table for the RJD.
Jha’s statement reflects the growing tensions within the alliance as the parties gear up for the upcoming election battle.
