The Hindu : Congress begins talks with JMM on seat-sharing

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Saturday, Feb 14, 2004

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Congress begins talks with JMM on seat-sharing

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, FEB. 13. In its quest to arrive at an understanding with parties opposed to the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Congress has begun talks with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) of Shibu Soren in Jharkhand, which sends 14 members to the Lok Sabha.

It is understood that preliminary talks have begun at an informal level between Mr. Soren and the Congress leaders, including the Congress Working Committee member, R.K. Dhawan and the Rajya Sabha MP, R.K. Anand. Mr. Anand was elected to the Upper House on the JMM ticket and later joined the Congress.

The JMM has suggested a 40:60 ratio for distribution of ticket for the Lok Sabha elections, which could be reversed during the Assembly polls. Although the tenure of the State Assembly expires only in February next year, the JMM feels that the State could head for early polls.

It is understood that the JMM has sought at least six Lok Sabha seats, leaving the rest for the Congress, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Left Parties. However, a senior Congress leader asserted that as of now, the JMM had not made any specific demand vis-à-vis the number of seats it wants to contest.

The JMM spokesman, Muktinath Upadhyaya, said the party was hopeful of arriving at an agreement with the Congress and other secular parties to ensure that there was no division of anti-BJP/National Democratic Alliance votes.

The JMM, which was earlier aligned with the NDA, fell out with the BJP after the formation of the new Jharkhand State in 2000, especially over the issue of the Chief Ministership. Mr. Soren, whose party has 13 legislators in the 81-member Assembly, had staked claim for the post, but eventually the BJP, with greater numbers, led the coalition government. Mr. Soren later contested the by-election to the Dumka Lok Sabha seat after it was vacated by the then Jharkhand Chief Minister, Babulal Marandi, against a BJP candidate.

Meanwhile, the Congress today condemned the move by the Central Bureau of Investigation to register a case against Mr. Soren for allegedly possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

The party chief spokesperson, S. Jaipal Reddy, alleged that "this politically motivated charge-sheet shows how the BJP was prepared to use all instruments of State either to win over or subdue political personalities." The party questioned the timing of the charge-sheet on the eve of general elections, a point emphasised by the JMM spokesman too.

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