Upbeat with the bye-election results in Bihar, RJD chief lalu Prasad has stepped in and put his weight to gel a similar bloc in Jharkhand as well. Yadav under his social engineering formula has been the architect of the ‘grand alliance’ that brought even his arch rival Nitish Kumar on a single platform.
The intervention is in order to soften the stiff Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) a bit. The JMM is said to be blocking all the possibilities to coming together with Babulal Marandi-led JVM for assembly polls.
Sources privy to the development has confirmed to The Pioneer that lalu before going for his heart surgery had contacted JMM top brass and also to the JVM leadership. “He stressed that talks involving all the parties-JMM, JVM and Congress-can be and should be done for forming a greater alliance to counter the BJP in Jharkhand. Though no breakthrough has been achieved yet as he had been admitted in the hospital in Mumbai,” said a top leader of the JVM.
lalu’s RJD is in alliance with Congress and JMM and running the Hemant Soren Government in the State. It thinks that all the parties in the anti-BJP camps should come together in order to stop the ‘secular’ votes to be divided. His calculations based on caste equation in Bihar can be marked as successful as the ‘grand alliance’ bagged six out of ten seats and reduced the BJP-led NDA to just four. The number has not gone down well into the BJP camp, especially after better than spectacular show in the parliamentary elections a few months ago. JVM on its part is still open to any such understanding reached but also aware about the practical problem the ‘grand alliance’ may have in store. “We are in fact still in talks and open to make our party a partner in the alliance. Some informal discussions with a few Congress leaders have also taken place. But what we perceive is that JMM has certain problems in coming together with us which put Congress in a dilemma,” said JVM legislative body leader Pradeep Yadav.
Sources in the Congress confirmed that the party was burning midnight oil to bring all anti-BJP forces on a single platform but finding the sailing tough with the JMM. The Shibu Soren’s party considers JVM as its long term rival in the State politics and at the same time is confident about a good show during Assembly polls banking on its traditional vote bank.
“We are not going to budge under pressure from anyone and shake hands with the JVM. It is next to impossible. If Congress wants to come along it is up to them otherwise we are ready to walk even alone,” said Supriyo Bhattacharya, JMM general secretary.
In all this, chances are that the JVM may find itself lonely as Bandhu Tirkey-led TMC with Madhu Koda and Anosh Ekka would chose the JMM headed huddle in Jharkhand over the JVM’s.