JMM to contest Bihar assembly polls under ‘Mahagathbandan’ banner

The ruling JMM in Jharkhand on Monday said it will join hands with the RJD-led Grand Alliance and contest the assembly elections in Bihar later this year. The party also said that it has identified 12 out of 243 seats in Bihar, where it intends to field candidates.

Referring to the Jharkhand polls last year, JMM General Secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya said the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) was allotted seven out of 81 assembly seats in the state, and one MLA, upon his victory, was also inducted in the cabinet.

"We formally announce that the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) will contest Bihar polls under (the banner of) 'Mahagathbandhan', which is headed by the RJD and has the Congress, Rashtriya Lok Samta Party, Hindustani Awam Morcha and the Vikassheel Inshan Party as allies," Bhattacharya said.

On the Election Commission freezing its symbol in Bihar during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he said the JMM has requested the poll panel to allow the party to contest this time with its ‘bow-arrow’ emblem.

The poll body had derecognised the JMM's symbol in Bihar last year, as it had similarities with JD(U)'s symbol. "We have identified 12 Bihar constituencies where we would want to nominate our candidates," Bhattacharya added.

(Photo Credit: PTI)