The July 18 deadline for the President’s Rule to end in mind, the Congress High Command has rushed AICC general secretary Shakeel Ahmad also to Ranchi to hold consultations with JMM leaders even though newly appointed Jharkhand incharge general secretary BK Hariprasad is already in the State.
Shakeel, who was earlier holding charge of Jharkhand, has been sent as he was holding talks with JMM leaders in the past and knows the State Congress leaders well.
Though the JMM has always been keen to form the Government with the support of the Congress, the latter was a bit hesitant earlier. But now the Congress has come around holding that Government formation is a better option if the party wants to go to the lok Sabha polls in alliance with JMM, sources said.
The Congress wants to enter into alliance with JMM for lok Sabha polls as in 2004 when they fought elections together. Congress had got six seats while JMM four. In 2009 when they fought separately Congress got one seat and JMM just two.
However, the Congress wants a lion’s share of the lok Sabha seats in case of an alliance with JMM. It has been convincing JMM leaders Shibu Soren and his son Hemant that since they would be leading the state in case the JMM-Congress government is formed, they should help the UPA in the lok Sabha elections by giving more seats to the Congress.