Congress ready to support JMM, but only for 2014 poll

Ready to support the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) in the formation of its government in the mineral-rich state, the Congress is bargaining hard with the regional party to contest in pursuit a major chunk of the Lok Sabha seats  in 2014 general election together.

The  government will be formed in the state only if the JMM agrees to the Congress' proposal.   

Jharkhand was placed under President's Rule after the fall of the BJP government on January 8. The six-month term of President's Rule is coming to an end on July 18.
After Congress general secretary and state in-charge of party affairs B K Hari Prasad and party general secretary Shakeel Ahmed met JMM supremo Shibu Soren on the issue in Jharkhand, a delegation of the regional outfit led by former deputy chief minister Hemant Soren, also son of the party chief, reached here to meet the Congress top brass.

Soren was set to meet and discuss the issue with senior Congress leader and Defence Minister A K Antony, who heads the Congress sub-group which will take decisions on alliances for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The JMM leader may also meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her political secretary Ahmed Patel.

The JMM has been keen on forming its government in Jharkhand with support from the Congress. Majority of leaders in the state unit of the Congress and a section of party leaders at the Centre are in favour of supporting the JMM in the formation of government in the state.

The Central leadership, however, had never favoured such proposals. The Congress high command was against supporting any regional party in Jharkhand for formating a  of government, as the party had to face severe criticism for supporting the government led by independent Madhu Koda, who was later accused in several corruption cases.

The Congress, however, is now interested in forging an alliance with the JMM as many of its senior leaders believe that it will help the party gain in the 2014 elections. The party, however, does not want to form its government in the state. The two parties had contested the last election separately. “We don’t want to form government in the state.

Why should we do it for just six months? Yes, we will support the JMM if it wants to form its government. We are interested in forging an alliance with the JMM for parliamentary elections,” said a senior Congress leader. Out of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Jharkhand, the Congress has only one, from where former Union tourism minister Subodh Kant Sahay has won. The JMM has two members.

The JMM, with its 18 MLAs, is hoping to form its government with support from the Congress (13 MLAs), RJD (five) and six independents in the 82-member assembly.