Though just couple of more months is left in general elections, edges of the grand alliance’s cogs are yet to be smoothened in Jharkhand. Differences among the parties of the anti-BJP coalition, namely Congress, JMM, JVM, RJD and the Left have started to surface since the junior partners are now complaining about highhandedness on the parts of leading forces.
Major bone of contention is seat sharing formula, which has been reached virtually unilaterally between the Congress and the JMM without direct involvement coming from the JVM and the RJD. The Left parties have also been left on their own fate with the Congress assuring them to take along during the Jharkhand Assembly poll to be followed soon after.
“We are firm over Palamu seat. Our party organisation has already initiated campaign there. Now, all of a sudden we are being told that the seat would not go our way. This is being done without making any consultation with us and our leadership. This is akin to imposing decision on the party,” said RJD State president Annapurna Devi.
As per the formula arrived in the meeting held between Congress national president Rahul Gandhi and JMM executive president Hemant Soren in Delhi both the parties have run away with lion’s share of the grand alliance sharing at least 11 seats together leaving dismal three for the remaining partners.
“The Congress and JMM are playing big brotherly role in the coalition but smaller parties should not be overlooked. Winability should be the only factor. They should be conducted surveys before arriving at any formula which has not been done in this case,” said an office bearer of the JVM.
Leadership in the Babulal Marandi-led party is getting a sense that the bigger players of the grand alliance are harping on BJP might for their personal gains. “It is true that all the Opposition parties need to come together to take on Narendra Modi and BJP’s nefarious poll strategies. But the situation should not be a tool to suppress smaller partners and to eat them up. Appropriate respect and space should be given to accommodate likeminded parties that have not been done just in the name of BJP,” said a senior JVM leader.
Besides Koderma and Chatra the JVM is pressing very hard for Godda parliamentary seat which has fallen into Congress’ kitty as per the present arrangement. RJD is aggressively pitching for Palamu and Chatra creating lot of confusion among the partners.
For the grand alliance leaders the Modi fear is set to play the gelling factor in order to bargain more for them. “Our main aim it to uproot the Modi-Shah dispensation and liberate the people from their dictatorial rule. Smaller sacrifices are to be made for the larger goals. We all can have a larger say in the Assembly elections where more number of seats would be available,” said JMM general secretary Suprio Bhattacharya.
JMM has been assured with leadership role in the State elections in the return of its acceptance and support to Rahul Gandhi’s cause in becoming prime minister after 2019 Lok Sabha elections. This agreement has been reached after Congress drew flak in 2014 in Jharkhand, while JMM winning just two seats against the Modi wave that helped the BJP in pocketing 12 out of 14 parliamentary constituencies.