New Delhi, Nov 6: The Congress and the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) formally announced their electoral alliance today, claiming that this coalition would create a new hope in the state that has been grappling with insidious political instability for quite some time.

The JVM has settled for only 19 seats, far less than it initially claimed, while the Congress has agreed for friendly fights in seven other constituencies. The seats given to JVM are: Borio, Maheshpur, Shikaripara, Deoghar, Poraiyahat, Godda, Koderma, Dhanwar, Bagodar, Jamua, Giridih, Chandankyari, Sindri, Tundi, Jagannathpur, Torpa, Garhwa, Simaria and Jamshedpur East.

The seats where the two parties will have friendly contests are: Barkatha, Bokaro, Baghmara, Madhupur, Silli, Ichagarh. The seventh seat has not been decided so far. The Congress,s Jharkhand in-charge, K. Keshav Rao, said some changes may occur in the seats earmarked for friendly fights. The alliance was announced at the Congress headquarters jointly by Rao and JVM chief Babulal Marandi with both of them claiming they came together to end political instability and provide clean governance.

“We will declare war on corruption,” Rao said, laying special emphasis on Marandi’s good character and honesty. Marandi, too ,said the people had suffered bad governance and corruption for nine years and this alliance was the only clean alternative possible under the prevailing circumstances.

Marandi himself was the chief minister for two years after Jharkhand became a state in November 2000. Marandi’s insistence on “nine years of misrule” was aimed at including the Arjun Munda government and Rao, too, specifically said that Shibu Soren’s JMM had also contributed to the mess in Jharkhand. The Congress attempt to insulate itself from the misdeeds of previous regimes evoked fierce grilling by the media, with questions about its role in propping up the Madhu Koda government leaving the party spokespersons fumbling for words. While Rao tried to evade a direct reply by arguing that the Congress was not part of the government, spokesperson Manish Tiwari said the support was given on the premise that he would deliver.

Marandi, too, suggested that the Congress took time to discover the true Koda and had now made amends.

The Congress is clearly planning to exploit the ongoing anti-Koda drive for political gains as it is alive to the charge of being responsible for giving the state such bad governments in the recent past in the name of opposing the BJP.

Asked if he would consider supporting the BJP after the election, Marandi, who met Sonia Gandhi today at 10, Janpath, said he was present at the Congress headquarters today only because he was a permanent ally of the UPA now. The Congress declared three more names_ Amita Rakshi for Nala, Piyush Soren for Barheit and Suresh Baitha for Kanke. For the Nala Assembly seat, the JVM had announced its candidate Gauri Shankar Yadav but he has now been withdrawn.

The Congress, too, has withdrawn Mangal Singh Sinku from Jagannathpur