The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), the ruling party in neighbouring Jharkhand and a key member of the INDIA alliance at the national level, has announced its decision to contest the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections independently. The party will field candidates on six seats, primarily in areas bordering Jharkhand.
JMM General Secretary and spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya confirmed the decision on Saturday, stating, “The party has decided to contest the Bihar polls on its own. It will contest six assembly seats – Chakai, Dhamdaha, Katoria (ST), Manihari (ST), Jamui, and Pirpainti.”
Collapse of Seat-Sharing Talks
The decision comes after prolonged and ultimately unsuccessful seat-sharing negotiations with its primary Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) ally in Bihar, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). JMM leaders had earlier pressed the alliance for a “respectable share” of seats, reportedly demanding up to 12 seats in the tribal-dominated border districts. Failure to reach a consensus appears to have led the JMM to opt for a solo fight.
The six constituencies selected by the JMM are all slated to go to the polls in the second phase of the Bihar elections on November 11.
Electoral Impact
The JMM’s decision to go solo is seen as a blow to the opposition INDIA bloc’s efforts to present a united front against the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar. The party had previously failed to open its account in the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections after a similar breakdown in alliance talks, but it retains influence in pockets of the state adjacent to Jharkhand.
Elections for the 243 seats of the Bihar assembly will be held in two phases on November 6 and November 11. The results will be declared on November 14.