Ranchi: On the final day of filing nominations for the April 9 Assam assembly polls on Monday, JMM announced 19 more candidates, taking the total number to 21. Late on Sunday, it had given tickets to two candidates after seat-sharing talks with ally Congress failed.JMM’s central general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharjee told the media that they had waited till the last before choosing to go ahead with an alternative electoral plan for the northeastern state. “All our candidates also filed their nominations on Monday,” he told reporters in Ranchi.JMM, which is eyeing to expand its footprint outside Jharkhand, has decided to stay away from assembly election in neighbouring Bengal, but is going aggressive in Assam. Bhattacharjee said that it is part of JMM’s strategy and hoped that they will certainly make their presence felt in Assam. “Fighting polls is not the only electoral strategy,” he said.Majority of the seats in which JMM is contesting fall in upper Assam area (tea estates) having a considerable population of tribals. Even before announcement of the election date, chief minister Hemant Soren had made a few visits to address pre-poll rallies.But unlike in Bihar, where JMM had to backtrack at the last moment after being denied any seat, it chose to go ahead by selecting candidates who filed their nominations in Assam.“Now it is up to the Congress to decide whether to announce candidates for seats where we are fighting or withdraw them. Our candidates will be fighting both against BJP and Congress there (Assam),” he said.JMM spokesperson Manoj Pandey, however, said that the alliance with Congress could still work out even now if the grand old party chooses withdraw candidates from seats where JMM is in contention.Congress, on the other hand, said it had tried its best to accommodate JMM, but it was unfortunate that things didn’t work out. A Congress source claimed, “Congress was ready to give 5 seats, but JMM wanted 25.”Party spokesperson Rakesh Sinha, however, added that their alliance in Jharkhand will remain unaffected. “It would have been better if JMM and Congress fought together as part of INDIA bloc in Assam as well. However, the developments won’t have any impact in Jharkhand,” he said.Jharkhand finance minister and Congress MLA Radha Krishan Kishore said that his party offered seven seats to JMM and all party cadres were told to canvas for the alliance for Assam polls. He said, “JMM-Congress alliance dates back to the time of former PM Indira Gandhi and ex-JMM patriarch Shibu Sorenji. Congress wholeheartedly wanted JMM to come on board. However, its a sad day that JMM chose to work with local parties. Irrespective of the outcome, the party is more concerned that JMM’s move may lead to a division of tribal votes.”Bhattacharjee added, “Our alliance in Jharkhand was a pre-poll alliance and will stay at least till the next polls. The reasons on why talks failed will be reviewed after the polls. Our focus now is on Assam and soon we will begin our electioneering.”
