Even as the Congress is holding talks with Babulal Marandi-led Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM), it remains non-committal on an alliance with the JVM for the Jharkhand Assembly elections.

In fact, the Congress has begun the exercise to select candidates with the party’s Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting on Monday.

“As of now, standing before you at 3:30 pm, we are alone,” K Keshav Rao, AICC in-charge of Jharkhand, said after the CEC meeting, adding the party was likely to announce its first list of candidates on Tuesday.

Marandi, former Jharkhand chief minister, had met Congress general secretary Mukul Wasnik and AICC in-charge of Jharkhand K Keshav Rao on Sunday. He reportedly called on Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel on Saturday night.

These meetings are significant as the Congress has ruled out any truce with Lalu Prasad-led RJD and Shibu Soren-led JMM in the state, and the JVM is the lone party left for alliance. While the Congress is learnt to be offering 25 seats to the JVM in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, Marandi is demanding 40.

The Congress, which managed to win only one Lok Sabha seat in the recently held elections, wants to strengthen its presence in the state by allying with Marandi.

Though the Congress has not formed a government on its own in Jharkhand, it has helped form a government under JMM chief Shibu Soren in the past.