Jharkhand Polls: Congress Pushes For 33 Seats As INDIA Bloc Fast-Tracks Seat Sharing Deal After Haryana Shock

The Congress, which contested 31 seats in the last Jharkhand Assembly polls, is now pushing for 33 seats in the upcoming elections, The New Indian Express reported. As seat-sharing discussions gain momentum, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren is in Delhi to meet with Congress leaders, following the party's unexpected loss in Haryana.

On Wednesday, Soren held a key meeting with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi to solidify election strategies and finalize seat-sharing agreements between the Congress and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), PTI reported.

The coalition, including Congress, JMM, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and Left parties, is focused on retaining power in Jharkhand amid expectations of a robust BJP campaign following its recent win in Haryana. The meeting, attended by Soren's wife Kalpana Soren and Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal, centered on strengthening unity within the alliance to avoid potential setbacks like Haryana.

Afterward, Soren posted about the discussions on state-related issues on social media. In the wake of the Haryana defeat, INDIA bloc allies have voiced concerns about Congress's previous approaches and emphasized the need for stronger collaboration. "Learning from the Haryana results, the INDIA Alliance will contest the Jharkhand elections with greater strength to avoid a similar outcome," a senior JMM leader told The New Indian Express, stressing the importance of unity over individual party goals.

Meanwhile, other coalition partners, including the RJD and CPI-ML, are advocating for more seat allocations. Tensions have also surfaced regarding leadership, with Congress's Jharkhand in-charge Ghulam Ahmed Mir suggesting a rotational Chief Minister role if Congress wins between 30-40 seats. JMM countered this by reaffirming its commitment to Soren's leadership, warning it would contest all 81 seats if leadership becomes a point of contention.

Current seat negotiations within the INDIA bloc indicate JMM is seeking more than 43 seats, Congress is aiming for 33, and the RJD is requesting at least 14. In the 2019 elections, JMM contested 43 seats (winning 30), Congress contested 31 (winning 16), and RJD contested seven (winning one).