With elections to Jharkhand Assembly likely to be announced anytime soon, political parties have began the search of alliance partners to contest elections and grab power in the State. The ice-breaking activities have started gaining momentum with parties talking about alliances behind the closed door.
After the JMM-Congress-RJD alliance, the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) has set out on the journey to hunt partners to counter the surge of alliance led by large political parties. The preferred choice in the evolving scenario appears to Trinamool Congress (TMC) which has been approached by the Babulal Marandi led party.
Sources in TMC confided that the JVM has approached them and two rounds of negotiations have already been completed. The Congress has also approached the TMC, claimed the source. Nonetheless for the TMC decision on alliance in Jharkhand has to pass the litmus test in West Bengal where the party is headquartered.
“We would love to go in elections with a partner however we have requested party seniors to appoint a State president before taking a call on alliance,” said TMC leader Shashikant Tirkey. Tirkey however admitted that the being a fledgling political party they cannot field candidates on all seats thus underscored the need of jumping coalition bandwagon created by relatively bigger parties.
The possibility of JMM-Congress going together in Assembly polls along with Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) seems to have triggered rush among other parties also. However like in the case of TMC they too are relying on their bosses sitting across the State’s border.The State Janta Dal-United (JDU) is awaiting central leaders of the party stationed in Bihar to take a decision on party to join hands with in the assembly elections in Jharkhand. Interestingly, fast changing political equations in Bihar indicates a change of heart in the ranks and files of JDU vis-à-vis RJD. Earlier the JDU was in the NDA fold but moved out of the alliance after relations soured between the parties.
“We are not the one to decide on the alliance. Our central leaders will decide. But we are capable of fielding candidates on all seats in Jharkhand,” maintained former JDU president Khiru Mahto.
Meanwhile, the AJSU party has geared in poll mode and party chief Sudesh Kumar Mahto kick started public relations exercise at Barhi and Bahragora. The party claims to have set exercise of alliance aside despite murmurs in the political circles about an inclination towards Bhartiya Janta Party. “We have not decided anything on that,” said vice-president of AJSU party Pravin Prabhakar.