Executive president of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha cum Chief Minister of Jharkhand Hemant Soren on Saturday met Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences Director’s bungalow, which has been made a makeshift jail for the incarcerated RJD chief. Soren said to have paid the visit to Lalu to discuss issues related to Bihar Assembly elections due in the end of the year.
The CM after coming out of the Kelly Bungalow (Director’s Bungalow) said that the coalition will contest the Bihar elections and a draft of the details was being prepared. The CM said, “You must be curious to know about the discussions we had here. However, political issues will be discussed on political platform. We will make a plan for contesting polls together in Bihar. You will have to wait to get the details.”
The JMM executive president denied commenting on the number of seats his party wants to contest in the polls. He said, “You have to wait for a while to know the figures and to now who is contesting the polls from where.”
The RJD, being an active partner of the ruling coalition in Jharkhand also has a Minister from its quota – Satyanand Bhokta, who is the lone MLA of party in the State. As per the pact the RJD had contested from seven seats in the 2019 Assembly polls, but could secure only one seat.
According to sources the JMM has staked claim on 12 seats in Bihar polls. JMM General Secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya said that the party’s claim is based on JMM’s survey that took place recently and the JMM can triumph over the seats it has demanded. Also, he said that the party can help RJD on over 42 seats.
Notably, the JMM after registering a confident win in the State Assembly elections in Jharkhand is now eyeing to gain space in neighbouring states, where there is a considerable number of tribals and dalits. The party had fielded its candidates in Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh elections earlier also.
Sources indicated that the JMM is willing to field its candidates from Thakurganj, Jhajha, Rupauli, Pranpur, Banmankhi, Jamalpur, Peerpaiti, Tarapur, Katoria (ST), Manihari (ST), Banka and Chakai constituencies. JMM had won Chakai seat back in 2005 and is said to be working on several other seats in the neighbouring State.