In the run-up to next year’s Lok Sabha election, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief and former Chief Minister Shibu Soren has called a meeting of the State coordination committee, comprising members of the ruling coalition, at his residence in Ranchi on June 10. The parties are likely to discuss a seat-sharing formula in the meeting, sources said.
This is the first time since the JMM-Congress-Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) alliance came to power in the State in 2019 that the nine-member committee will sit down for a meeting.
Sources in the Congress said a review of the joint manifesto released by the coalition before the previous Assembly elections is also on the cards.
Jharkhand has 14 Lok Sabha seats. In 2019, the BJP won 12 seats, while the Congress and the JMM won one seat each. The ruling coalition is looking to put up a better show next year, drawing hope from the recent Karnataka Assembly election, where the Congress came to power with a majority. The BJP has already started a door-to-door campaign to take the work done by the Narendra Modi-led government to the public.
Deny political agenda
Leaders of the JMM and the Congress, however, said the meeting was called to discuss health, education and other issues related to the State’s development.
“The meeting has no political agenda. It is the meeting of the State coordination committee, where only issues related to the developmental work will be discussed,” senior JMM leader Supriyo Bhattacharya said.
Jharkhand Congress chief Rajesh Thakur said the meeting will focus on steps to curb the migration of residents to other States. “In Jharkhand, migration is one of the major issues, apart from health and education. We will also discuss steps that can be taken to encourage reverse migration in the meeting that will be held under the leadership of Guruji [Shibu Soren],” Mr. Thakur said.
