Ranchi: Talks have started between Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Congress leaders for alliance and allocation of seats ahead of the Assembly elections in the state.
Both parties are also exploring the possibility of including parties like Rashtriya Janata Dal and Janata Dal (U) into the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) of anti-BJP parties in the state.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren is leading JMM in the pre-election campaign to enter into an alliance with other parties. He met Congress leader in-charge of Jharkhand BK Hariprasad and other Congress leaders in New Delhi in this connection today.
State Congress president Sukhdev Bhagat and state minister cum legislative group leader of Congress in the state Rajendra Prasad Singh were also present on the occasion.
Sources said JMM leaders had demanded a minimum of 50 seats. To this proposal, Congress leadership has expressed disagreement and said that the seats should be divided logically in the event of an alliance taking shape.
Sources further said efforts were on to contact the top leaders of RJD and JD (U) to include the two parties in the alliance. Meanwhile, a faction within the Congress is in favour of including Jharkhand Vikas Morcha in the alliance.
But so far no firm decision has been made yet on this issue. Talks are in the preliminary stage and the political heat is likely to grow after puja.
