New frontier: Babulal Marandi

Ranchi, Sept. 26: JMM and JVM are now eager to try their luck in the upcoming Assembly polls in Bihar.

While the JMM has already announced it would field candidates in over 85 Assembly constituencies, the JVM has finalised names of 21 candidates under the banner of Bharat Vikas Morcha (BVM). More candidates from these parties are likely to contest.

Lacking allies, both parties are targeting votes in areas of Bihar bordering Jharkhand such as Purnea, Kosi, Shahabad, Bhagalpur and Banka, where the tribal population plays an important role.

During the last Lok Sabha elections, JMM had fielded candidates in over nine states and two Union territories. But, it had to be content with two seats, both in Jharkhand.

After Arjun Munda was sworn in chief minister on September 11 with the JMM’s support, senior BJP leader and Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi opined that the latest BJP-JMM alliance would be of great help to his party in the Bihar elections.

He also strongly advocated joint campaigns by senior BJP and JMM leaders, adding that two Assembly seats in Bihar were reserved for Scheduled Tribes and that tribal voters played a decisive role in over four dozen constituencies.

JMM central committee member Supriyo Bhattacharya argued that fielding candidates in Bihar was a compulsion as party workers did not have any important assignment at the moment.

“After the installation of the Arjun Munda government, Assembly elections in Jharkhand have been deferred. Party cadres would lose the energy to fight if they are made to sit idle. Moreover, we are not committed to any party. In Jharkhand too, we have supported the BJP only to form an alternative government and get rid of early elections,” he added.

Babulal Marandi will lead the campaign for candidates in Bihar under BVM. However, even JVM principal general secretary Pradip Yadav isn’t sure what prompted his boss to take such a decision.

“In fact, this issue has not yet been discussed at the party forum. But, being disciplined soldiers we will do what the party president wants us to do. All I can tell at the moment is that the JVM is not fielding its candidates in Bihar,” he added.