Ranchi: In an unexpected blow to the unity of the Opposition in Bihar, the JMM, a ruling party in Jharkhand, has decided to break off its relations with the Mahagathbandhan and announced that it would run in six single-member constituencies in Bihar assembly elections on its own.
The party declared its dissociation from the coordinating political group on Saturday. It comes as the squabbles over the division of the seats become more and more intense within the INDIA bloc, thereby increasing the chances of a ballot split just weeks before the polling days scheduled for November 6 and 11.
Supriyo Bhattacharya, the general secretary and spokesperson for JMM, confirmed the decision. He stated that the party will field candidates in Chakai, Dhamdaha, Katoria (ST), Manihari (ST), Jamui, and Pirpainti, all of which are scheduled for the second phase on November 11, with results expected on November 14. “We have decided to fight the Bihar polls on our strength,” Bhattacharya told reporters, underscoring JMM’s frustration over unfulfilled demands for a “respectable share” of seats. However, the Mahagathbandhan, mainly led by the RJD and Congress, were still very much asleep at the wheel when they were asked for the quick distribution of tickets by the JMM, which left the latter with no other option but to hasten their filing of nomination, as the time for that was running out.
The conflict between the two parties is rooted in the history of the JMM’s alliance and trade of the seats. The JMM in the Jharkhand elections of 2019 and 2024, gave the RJD seven and six seats, respectively, and it even went as far as promoting their only victorious MLA to a ministerial position despite the low number of gains. “We have fulfilled the dharma of the coalition; now we are waiting for the same from the other side,” Bhattacharya said, indicating that after the Bihar review of the JMM’s relations with RJD and Congress in Jharkhand. The party’s experience and the cadres’ support in tribal and border areas will be a significant advantage for the BJP, if the internal feud continues unwarned, as these are areas where JMM dominates.
While JMM’s junior partner has emerged as a formidable opponent, JMM has publicly released a list of 20 celebrities, led by Hemant Soren, the Chief Minister of Jharkhand, to bolster their campaign drive. The group is meant to be an all-out offensive against the BJP-led NDA, which is also in line with the JMM’s track record of anti-BJP fights. Although, by breaking with the alliance, the Mahagathbandhan’s ammo would be less in these constituencies, meaning that fighting would become even more intense in those seats where members of the alliance have already been grappling in nine seats. More than 74 million voters are waiting for a high-stakes showdown. The case of a JMM breakaway might well be the reason for a very narrow fight, which in turn would make the realisation of a meeting of the Opposition forces an even bigger demand.
As Tejashwi Yadav’s RJD is rushing to rally its forces together, the question still remains: Whether the JMM’s move will open up a new way or cause a further split of the anti-NDA front, making it impossible to put it back together again?