Soon after Hemant Soren and Ghulam Ahmed Mir announced the INDIA alliance’s seat-sharing plan for the upcoming Jharkhand assembly elections, tensions emerged within the coalition. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) expressed strong dissatisfaction with the formula, claiming that their influence in the state was not adequately reflected in the seat distribution.

Speaking to the media in Ranchi on Saturday, RJD spokesperson Manoj Jha criticized the decision, saying, “RJD has significant strength in Jharkhand, but we were not given the seats we deserve. There are 15 to 18 constituencies where we have the potential to defeat the BJP on our own. This fact should have been taken into account.” 

Jha reminded reporters that during the previous elections, RJD had contested seven seats, a decision that reflected the generosity of party leader Lalu Prasad Yadav. “Our goal back then was to remove the BJP, and that mission still stands. However, it’s unfortunate that a one-sided decision was made this time without considering our grassroots presence,” he said. 

“A political party cannot afford to move forward while disregarding the sentiments of its supporters and workers. We urge our alliance partners to reconsider their approach in the interest of unity and fairness,” he said.

In response to the objections raised by the RJD, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and JMM’s working President Hemant Soren promptly held a meeting with Tejashwi Yadav behind closed doors. While the discussion aimed to address RJD's concerns, the outcome of the talks has not yet been disclosed by any of the involved parties.