THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, Oct 18: As seat-sharing negotiations continue within the INDIA bloc, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) is preparing to announce its candidates for six Bihar Assembly constituencies. According to party sources, the JMM will contest from Chakai, Dhamdaha, Katoria, Manihari, Jamui, and Pirpainti.
Seat-Sharing Talks Still Ongoing
The JMM has been in discussions with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and other alliance partners regarding the division of seats in Bihar.
During a meeting with RJD leaders on October 7, the JMM reportedly demanded seven Assembly seats, though indications suggest that the RJD may concede only two. The final seat-sharing arrangement within the INDIA bloc is yet to be decided.
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JMM Cites Precedent from Jharkhand Polls
Defending its demand, JMM leaders pointed out that the RJD had been allotted six Assembly seats in the Jharkhand elections held in November 2024.
Out of Jharkhand’s 81 Assembly seats, the RJD contested six and won four. Following the formation of the Hemant Soren-led JMM government, RJD’s Godda MLA Sanjay Prasad Yadav was inducted into the Cabinet.
Target Constituencies in Bihar
JMM sources revealed that the party was eying the Chakai, Banka, Katoria, Tarapur, Purnea, Manihari, and Dhamdaha Assembly seats in Bihar.
In the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections, the RJD had finished second in five of these seats—Banka, Katoria, Chakai, Tarapur, and Dhamdaha—while the Congress won Manihari and finished second in Purnea.
Out of Bihar’s 243 Assembly seats, 203 are general, 38 reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC), and two—Katoria and Manihari—reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST).
