Fear of being swept away by the ‘saffron wave’ in Assembly polls after a blank it scored in Parliament seems to have forced the Congress to approach Babulal Marandi’s party JVM afresh.
The latest attempt to form a ‘grand alliance’ is said to be unofficial as of now.
Top sources in the JVM confirmed it to The Pioneer that Congress MlA from Daltonganj and Rural Development Minister in the Hemant Soren Government played the messenger. “KN Tripathi had a few days ago met Marandi and talked about a grand alliance. He insisted upon bringing together parties like JMM, RJD, JD-U and TMC to fight with the BJP,” said a senior JVM leader.
Marandi’s party that has maintained the line to walk alone in the Assembly polls ahead of the ruptures it witnessed in recent past, is signaling to soften its stand on alliance but with certain conditions. Insiders say that the party is particular about sharing seats on equal footing with the arch rival JMM and not like to be seen as playing
second fiddle to the Shibu Soren-led party.
“We do not have much problem with the Congress but as far as JMM is concerned our electoral base is more or less similar. Even if we go in the alliance with the JMM it would be respectable and not dominating on us,” said the leader.
Besides Tripathi, former JVM lok Sabha MP from Jamshedpur Ajay Kumar has also played crucial role in the effort to bring the parties together in Jharkhand. Kumar who lost the last parliamentary polls is coming closer to the Congress and the effort is one step in the direction.
“He has expressed his desire to leave the JVM and join the Congress citing his compulsions to play a role in national politics which, he felt, was not possible with a regional party like ours. The party has told him to wait till the decision on grand alliance comes as it would be easier for him to switch over on later stage. If he goes now then it may prove detrimental for the
Congress-JMM alliance in making,” said a close aide of Kumar. Both the parties are waiting for Bihar bye-election results to come together which would decide the future course of action.
Moreover, top leadership of the Congress in Jharkhand is tightlipped on the consultation. “It has no substance. If any MlA went and talked about such an alliance it may have been driven by his own electoral compulsions and calculations. Any such effort has no official go ahead,” said Pradesh Congress Committee president Sukhdeo Bhagat on Monday but did not snub the idea either while putting the ball in the Delhi based party high command’s court.
However, there is no denying that the party, said to be preparing on all the 81 Assembly seats, is not confident of a decent show in the State considering ground swelling support the BJP received in the April polls. “Jairam Ramesh himself told me that the Congress is sincerely not hoping to win even seven seats in the polls,” said a JVM general secretary indicating to the urge of the alliance.
Non-committal on the grand alliance, the JVM is instead exploring ties with AJSU and TMC. The party thinks that this may prove less problematic for it on seat sharing. “One round of talks between AJSU and JVM has taken place and after Bihar polls the top leadership of the parties would sit together again. Seat sharing is not an issue as those seats that could have become bone of contention are clear now with such MlAs of ours leaving the party,” said party leader Praveen Singh. The party has on its part has finalised names of 38 candidates who are set to be fielded.
It is leant that TMC is ready to join hands with the JVM while AJSU is still in two minds as a Rajya Sabha MP has been pressed into action to prevent regional satraps —
Sudesh Mahto and Marandi from coming together.