81 seats to be shared 62:19
Puneet Nicholas Yadav. New Delhi
After weeks of haggling, the Congress finally ironed out its seat-sharing alliance with former Jharkhand chief minister Babulal Marandi's Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM), while isolating former ally Shibu Soren's Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). The Congress will contest 62 seats and the JVM 19 in the 81-member Jharkhand assembly.
The two parties have also agreed to 'friendly fights' in seven seats. The state goes to a five-phase poll beginning November 25. "The Congress and JVM will jointly contest the forthcoming Jharkhand assembly polls. The JVM will contest 19 seats and we are looking for friendly fights within the framework of seven seats," AICC in-charge for the state, Keshav Rao, told a joint media briefing with Marandi.
Marandi, a former BJP strongman and Jharkhand's first chief minister, left the BJP over differences with the party leadership and formed the JVM in 2006. A tribal leader, he has a strong clout in pockets.
An alliance with the JVM suits the Congress as it lacks an acceptable leader and a hold on the tribal population, over 19% of the state's electorate. With Soren out of the picture, the Congress needed an acceptable tribal face and Marandi fit the bill.
Earlier on Friday, Marandi met Congress president Sonia Gandhi to finalise the alliance. Sonia also consulted Rao and AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik.