Cong opens talks with JMM for seat share

Sources said the Congress high command — which was not keen to forge a coalition with the JMM so far given its “tainted image” — is now looking at the Jharkhand issue from the 2014 point of view. The party,the sources said,will put a deal on seat-sharing for Lok Sabha elections as a precondition for joining hands with the JMM to form the government. A decision,Congress sources said,is expected within a week.

The JMM has been keen to join hands with the Congress and has been sending feelers soon after it broke up with the BJP in January. The state leadership of the Congress too has been pushing for an alliance with the JMM.

The assessment was that the Congress benefited from the alliance with the JMM in 2004,winning six out of the 14 seats. The JMM won four. When they contested separately in 2009,the Congress tally came down to one and JMM’s to two. The party sources,however,said the Congress would want to contest in more seats this time around and will indulge in hard bargaining.

“The JMM has weakened and we will definitely be seeking more seats. Formation of government will depend on the seat-sharing talks,” a senior leader told The Indian Express.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi,Vice President Rahul Gandhi and senior leaders like A K Antony and Ahmed Patel had a lengthy meeting with state leaders including PCC chief Sukhdeo Bhagat and CLP leader Rajendra Prasad Singh and state in charge Shakeel Ahmed on Monday. The sources said while Sonia appeared “positive” to the idea,Rahul remained neutral.