Jamshedpur, Oct 17: Congress leader Hedayatullah Khan joined Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) in presence of Hemant Soren at a grand function held at Michael John Auditorium in Bistupur on Friday.
The joining has given enough indication of a friendly contest between the ruling UPA coalition partners during the upcoming asembly elections in the state.
On the ocassion CM Hemant Soren said, �We would always like to bargain best deal suiting interest of our party. In fact, we are even prepared to contest on all 81 seats.
We are happy to have Hedayat Bhai in our party and will use him for the best interest of our party in the ensuing assembly poll. The exact picture on seating sharing would become clear before announcement of assembly poll dates,� said Hemant Soren.
According to sources, the joining of Hedayatullah Khan who holds considerable clout amongst minorities in the Jamshedpur West and had tried his luck on Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) nominee in the 2005 assembly election is learnt to have ditched Congress earlier this week after �negotiation� were almost finalised with JMM of a party ticket from Jamshedpur West assembly seat.
�It is a ghar vapasi (home-coming) for Hedayatullah Khan to JMM and his presence will certainly boost our party poll prospect in the ensuing assembly election,� said Ramesh Hansdah, East Singhbhum JMM district president.
For the records, Hedayatullah Khan had joined JMM in early 2005 and had ditched the party for Ram Vilas Paswan�s LJP just before the assembly polls the same year after it became clear that he would not be given a ticket. Hedayatullah then left LJP for Congress in 2009 just before the assembly election the same year with the hope of getting a ticket, which though was denied at the last minute (Banna Gupta was the Congress candidate).
The development will have ramification in the JMM-Congress alliance as newly inducted agriculture minister and Congress leader Banna Gupta is the sitting Jamshedpur West MLA.
For the records, Banna had won in the 2009 assembly election by polling 55638 (as against his nearest rival Sarayu Roy of BJP � 52341). The development is also being keenly observed by BJP political mandarins as division of minorities votes in the assembly segment (constitute 30 percent of the 3,09,097 electorates) will prove be a blessing in disguise for BJP candidate.
Chief Minister refused to divulge much into the seat sharing issue between Congress and JMM by stating, �It is too early to say anything and talks are on among leaders of both parties.�
Soren, however was candid enough to admit that JMM as a political party was committed to safeguard its own political interest.
Later speaking to scribes, chief minister assured that mining lease renewal issue would be sorted within few days.
