The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), which played on the second place in Lok Sabha elections, has staked claim to play big brother’s role in the year-end Assembly elections. The JMM has also stated that they will contest more Assembly seats than other Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) constituents.
The decision to this effect was taken at the JMM working committee meeting here on Monday. The JMM leadership for past two days held parleys first at legislature party meet and today at working committee meeting, introspecting party’s humiliating defeat in just concluded Lok Sabha elections.
In Lok Sabha election the four parties JMM, Congress, JVM and RJD formed the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) contesting against BJP led NDA, but the alliance managed to win only two seats—Sighbhum (Congress) and Rajmahal (JMM). The JMM was also defeated in Dumka where BJP’s Sunil Soren drubbed JMM patriarch Shibu Soren.
JMM executive president Hemant Soren said, “As per consultation and discussion with Congress and other constituents of Grand Alliance before Lok Sabha elections, the party will stake claim for contesting large number of seats in Assembly playing the role of big brother.”
Soren stated that by month-end, the Grand Alliance will finalise the seats sharing formula, so that Mahagathbandhan can start preparations for Assembly elections.
Attacking Raghubar Das led NDA government, the JMM leader claimed that the NDA government has failed on all fronts. Raising the worsening water crisis in State, Soren said: “The Chief Minister talks about development, but the government has failed to provide even drinking water to people. Days are not far when there will be clashes for water.”
“Due to State government’s apathetic attitude, most of ponds and water bodies have dried. Big builders, who have protection from State Government, are eyeing ponds and water bodies for construction of their building projects,” added Soren.
The JMM leader claimed that water crisis in State can be gauged from the fact that newspaper are flooded with reports of water crisis at different parts of State. The JMM leader also reiterated that they will launch an agitation against such real estate and big builders.
The JMM leader also took up the power crisis plaguing entire State stating that the Raghubar Das Government has no moral right to continue in the office as the government had committed to provide 24 hours power, but the government has failed to provide power even for 24 minutes.
Soren claimed that the results of Lok Sabha is shocking for party but the JMM cadres and members are not dejected with the outcome as on earlier occasions too JMM had faced such situations.
To strengthen the party ahead of Assembly election, the party will hold its executive meet on June 15-16 at Dumka in which party cadres from across the State will participate in the meeting. The JMM meet was attended party president Shibu Soren, party executive president Hemant Soren and lawmakers and working committee members which lasted for more than four hours. The JMM leadership collected feedback from its leaders about the reasons behind the defeat in the elections chalking out the strategies for year-end Assembly elections.