Jharkhand polls seat-sharing deal: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Congress are on the verge of finalizing a seat-sharing agreement for the upcoming Jharkhand Assembly elections, sources revealed. Along with other allies, the parties are close to sealing a deal as the state gears up for the elections, which will take place in two phases—November 13 and November 20— with the results set to be announced on November 23.Seat allocation detailsAccording to sources, the seat distribution has been largely decided. The Congress will contest 29 seats, while the JMM is aiming for 43 seats. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is expected to contest 5 seats, and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) will field candidates in 4 seats.In a move under the seat-sharing arrangement, JMM is expected to give up three of its seats to accommodate the Communist Party. Although the JMM contested 43 seats in the last assembly elections, the same number is expected this time due to the seat swap.Changes from earlier pollsIn the 2019 Jharkhand Assembly elections, the Congress contested 31 seats. However, in this election cycle, the party will contest two fewer seats, reducing its number to 29. Meanwhile, the RJD, which previously contested 7 seats, is now expected to run in just 5. The inclusion of the Communist Party in the alliance is a significant change from previous elections.A direct contest: INDIA Bloc vs BJP-led NDAThe upcoming elections in Jharkhand will be a direct contest between the JMM-led INDIA alliance and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Chief Minister Hemant Soren has confirmed that the INDIA bloc will contest all 81 assembly seats. The opposition, headed by the BJP, has re-established ties with the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) for this election. The AJSU is expected to contest around 10 seats, as confirmed by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the BJPs co-in-charge for Jharkhand elections.What happened in Jharkhand Elections 2019In 2019, the JMM, Congress, and RJD formed the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and won a majority of 47 seats, ousting the BJP-led government under Raghubar Das. Following the polls, the BJP severed ties with AJSU but reunited for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, winning 8 out of 9 seats. The INDIA bloc secured 5 out of 14 Lok Sabha seats in Jharkhand.
