JMM, unhappy with Mahagathbandhan, plans to contest Bihar Assembly elections independently
NEW DELHI: The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has expressed dissatisfaction with the manner in which the Mahagathbandhan alliance is preparing for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. As a result, the party is now gearing up to field its own candidates independently, without being part of the Mahagathbandhan alliance. Notably, the Bihar Assembly polls are scheduled to take place later this year, during October and November.
A source within the party informed The Sunday Guardian that JMM, the ruling party in Jharkhand, is actively preparing to contest the Bihar elections on its own. The party’s leadership is reportedly frustrated after being overlooked in three key Mahagathbandhan meetings held in Bihar during April and May. Adding to the disappointment is JMM’s exclusion from the 21-member coordination committee of the alliance. The party feels sidelined in the decisionmaking process, further straining relations within the coalition.
Despite these setbacks, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren remains hopeful that Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, who leads the Mahagathbandhan, will allocate a fair share of seats to the JMM. Soren’s expectations are rooted in the spirit of reciprocity, as he had extended significant support to the RJD during the Jharkhand Assembly elections in 2024 by offering them several seats. However, so far, the JMM has not received any special attention or concrete assurances regarding its role in the upcoming Bihar elections. Consequently, there is growing speculation that the JMM may field candidates independently in 12 to 15 border constituencies in Bihar, bypassing the alliance altogether.
A senior JMM leader pointed out that, despite Jharkhand having a relatively small 81-member Assembly, the party had generously allotted six seats to the RJD in the 2024 elections. In addition, the JMM awarded a ministerial berth to an RJD leader after forming the government.
However, given the RJD’s current stance and lack of cooperation, the JMM now feels compelled to contest the Bihar elections on its own.
It’s worth noting that while JMM maintains a limited electoral footprint in Bihar, particularly in the bordering constituencies, its success has been minimal. Since its inception, the JMM has managed to secure only a single seat in the 2010 Bihar Assembly elections. That year, Sumit Kumar Singh won from the Chakai constituency on a JMM ticket. Singh is currently an independent MLA and serves as Bihar’s Minister of Science, Technology, and Technical Education.
Speaking to The Sunday Guardian, JMM General Secretary and spokesperson Vinod Kumar Pandey shared that the party recently passed a resolution during its convention to strengthen its organisational presence not only in Jharkhand but also across states such as Bihar, Assam, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh. As part of this strategy, the party is planning to contest elections in the border areas of Bihar if the Mahagathbandhan alliance continues to ignore them. Although the JMM is still making efforts to coordinate with the Mahagathbandhan, it is also fully prepared to go solo if it does not receive due recognition and respect within the alliance.
Political observers told the publication that during its recent convention, the JMM officially endorsed a political resolution aimed at expanding its footprint and gaining recognition as a national party. In this context, the party is not inclined to withdraw from participating in the Bihar elections. So far, the JMM has been excluded from all key meetings of the Mahagathbandhan’s state-level coordination committee and has not been invited to attend strategy meetings for upcoming district-level programmes. Under such circumstances, the party is likely to adopt the path of ‘Ekla Chalo’— moving forward alone if necessary
