New Delhi: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren met Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Wednesday as the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-Congress alliance gears up for the upcoming state assembly elections. Soren, accompanied by his wife Kalpana Soren, held the meeting at Kharges residence to discuss election strategies, according to sources familiar with the development.The meeting, also attended by Congress general secretary K C Venugopal, focused on the finalization of a seat-sharing deal between the JMM and Congress, with both parties aiming to solidify their alliance and kickstart campaigning ahead of the elections scheduled for later this year.#WATCH | Congress MP and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren and his wife Kalpana Soren leave from the residence of Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge, in Delhi pic.twitter.com/1XziqrSUTz— ANI (@ANI) October 9, 2024Congress faces ally frustrationThis meeting comes at a time when the Congress is grappling with internal challenges following a disappointing performance in the Haryana elections. Several Congress allies, including the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), have criticized the party for neglecting them during the elections.AAPs Rajya Sabha MP, Sanjay Singh, voiced frustration, claiming that the Congress had dismissed the possibility of an alliance in Haryana, despite AAPs efforts to form a united front against the BJP. We followed the Gathbandhan Dharm and tried for an alliance, but Congress contested independently saying AAP was not a factor in the state, Singh said.Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut alleged that Congress tends to ignore its allies in regions where it believes it holds power. He suggested that the Congresss arrogance led to its defeat in Haryana, where many had expected a more competitive election against the BJP.
