Ranchi — In a dramatic turn, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has withdrawn from the INDIA bloc in Bihar, accusing partners Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) of deceiving the party over seat-sharing negotiations.
The rift emerged as Bihar’s Assembly elections near, with JMM leader and Jharkhand Minister Sudivya Kumar announcing in Giridih that the party would no longer contest under the alliance banner. Kumar said that “political trickery” by the senior partners had left JMM sidelined and disillusioned.
JMM spokesperson Manoj Kumar Pandey lamented that the party had been kept “bewildered and excluded.” “Despite our best efforts to maintain unity, we were victims of broken trust. Such deceit weakens the coalition and damages the larger cause,” he stated.
He added, “We have always stood by our allies, shared power with them, and helped strengthen their positions. It’s disheartening to see them turn their backs on us.”
Reacting to the controversy, Congress leader Rakesh Sinha agreed that JMM should have been allotted seats in Bihar but denied Congress’s fault in the matter. “The Congress has always acted selflessly for alliance harmony. The focus should remain on protecting democracy and constitutional values,” he said.
With inputs from IANS