The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has voiced its dissatisfaction with the seat-sharing arrangement between its allies, Congress and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), for the upcoming Jharkhand assembly elections. Chief Minister Hemant Soren recently announced that JMM and Congress will jointly contest 70 out of the 81 seats in the state.
RJD MP Manoj Jha, speaking to the media, expressed frustration over the decision, claiming that the party was sidelined. “We met today, and it was clear that the vote strength and public support are in favor of RJD. Last time, due to Lalu ji’s generosity, we contested seven seats with the goal of defeating the BJP, and that goal remains the same. We were runners-up in five of those seats, which may not be true for our alliance partners,” Jha said. He further criticized the unilateral nature of the decision-making, arguing that RJD’s presence in several districts is strong and should be considered.
Jha hinted that the party may reconsider its options, adding, “We have identified 15 to 18 seats where we can potentially defeat the BJP on our own. All decisions can’t be made instantly like ‘2 minutes’ noodles.”
Despite the RJD’s concerns, Congress leader Pawan Khera downplayed any tension, stating, “There is no resentment or displeasure from anyone.”
Meanwhile, BJP leader Laxmikant Bajpai took the opportunity to criticize Congress, urging them to “self-introspect” over the seat-sharing arrangement. He remarked that BJP has peacefully settled its own alliance matters, contrasting it with the apparent discord among opposition parties.
The Election Commission has scheduled the Jharkhand assembly elections to take place in two phases, on November 13 and 20, with vote counting on November 23. The NDA has already finalized its own seat-sharing plan, with BJP contesting 68 seats, AJSU 10 seats, JD(U) two seats, and LJP (Ram Vilas) one seat.
