NEW DELHI: As the Jharkhand state elections approach in November-December, key members of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, including the JMM and Congress, are likely to exchange several assembly seats to maximise their chances of retaining power.
Both parties have identified 12 constituencies where seat swapping could enhance their winnability. Party leaders from the JMM, Congress, and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) are set to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each seat. A senior Congress official noted that it is preferable to exchange seats where alliance partners have a stronger presence rather than risk losing them to the BJP.
The feedback from party workers will play a crucial role in finalising the seat-sharing plan. According to sources, constituencies such as Torpa, Kanke, Mandu, Bhavnathpur, Rajdhanwar, Jamua, Nirsa, Sindri, Barkatta, and Paurayahaat are among those under consideration for swapping, based on the growing political influence of the alliance partners in these areas. In the 2019, Jharkhand Assembly elections, the Congress contested 31 seats. This time, the party plans to claim 33 seats, as BJP MLA J.P. Patel (Mandu) and JVM MLA Pradeep Yadav have joined the Congress.
Meanwhile, the JMM, which contested 43 seats in 2019 and won 30, is reportedly interested in contesting more seats this time around. However, any claims for additional seats will be carefully discussed with alliance partners, with a strict focus on winnability. A senior leader from the I.N.D.I.A. bloc emphasised the importance of unity within the alliance to prevent the BJP from gaining ground in Jharkhand. "We must ensure that the most winnable candidate from the INDIA bloc is chosen to defeat the saffron party," the leader stated.
The seat-sharing discussions are expected to conclude by the end of this month, setting the stage for the upcoming electoral battle in Jharkhand.
