Ranchi: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Saturday announced that INDIA bloc will contest the Jharkhand Assembly polls together and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Congress will contest 70 of 81 seats in the state assembly . Soren said the remaining seats will be contested by other parties of INDIA alliance and talks are underway with RJD and Left parties. Ghulam Ahmed Mir, who is Congress incharge of Jharkhand, was also present in the press conference. "INDIA bloc will contest the Jharkhand Assembly polls together. It has been decided that 70 seats in the state will be contested by the JMM and Congress. The rest of the seats will be discussed upon further," Soren said. In the 2019 Assembly elections, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha as part of the UPA (United Progressive alliance) contested 43 seats, Congress contested 31 seats and the Rashtriya Janata Dal seven seats in the 81-member assembly. The UPA attained victory by winning 47 seats against BJP's 25 seats. Jharkhand Minister and Congress leader Banna Gupta said that INDIA Alliance is doing its work smoothly and people will vote to continue the ruling coalition government in the state. "Our in charge, (state) president, CLP leader together sat down with INDIA Alliance team. Everything has become very systematic. There is no 'if or but' anywhere. INDIA Alliance is doing its work smoothly. We say this very confidently that people of Jharkhand will give a chance one again to the INDIA Alliance government led by Hemant Soren," he said. The Assembly polls in Jharkhand will be held in two phases on November 13 and November 20. Votes will be counted on November 23. In a major boost to the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha ahead of the Assembly elections in the state, former BJP MLA from Jamua in Jharkhand, Kedar Hajra and former vice president of All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) and ex-MLA from Chandankyari Umakant Rajak joined the JMM. Hemant Soren welcomed both the leaders into the JMM party. The nomination process has started for the first phase of Jharkhand polls.
