JMM pulls out of Bihar Assembly elections, accuses Congress and RJD of betrayal
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has pulled out of the Bihar Assembly elections, accusing allies Congress and RJD of betrayal. Jharkhand minister Sudibya Kumar Sonu said the Grand Alliance partners disrespected and sidelined the JMM despite its support in Jharkhand. Calling it a "political insult" to Jharkhand's tribal population, he warned that the RJD would pay a price for its actions.
New Delhi: The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has announced its withdrawal from the Bihar Assembly elections, accusing its allies, Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), of political betrayal. Jharkhand minister Sudibya Kumar Sonu made the announcement on Monday, saying that the party would neither contest the polls nor campaign for any Grand Alliance candidate.
Sonu alleged that the JMM was sidelined and humiliated by its partners in Bihar, despite its consistent support to them in Jharkhand. He said the Congress and RJD failed to follow coalition principles and deliberately excluded the JMM from the electoral process. "This is not just an insult to our party but to the people of Jharkhand and the tribal community,” he said, vowing that the JMM would "take revenge” for the betrayal.
‘No respect, no proper seats’
The minister accused the RJD of political manipulation, claiming that the party was denied adequate seats and respect. "Chief Minister Hemant Soren had shown great regard to the RJD by including one of its MLAs in his cabinet. Despite this, the RJD ignored us and ensured we had no role in Bihar’s election process,” Sonu said.
He further alleged that while the JMM respected the RJD even when it had just one MLA in Jharkhand in 2019, the gesture was not reciprocated. "Now that they have four MLAs, we still gave them a place in the government, yet they conspired against us. The RJD will have to pay a political price for this,” he warned.
Rift in Grand Alliance
Sonu also hinted that the JMM’s relationship with the Grand Alliance could face a complete breakdown, both in Bihar and Jharkhand. "We will now make our own political strategy separately. This dual policy cannot continue—on one hand, they run the government in Jharkhand with our support, and on the other, they betray us in Bihar. This is unacceptable,” he said.
Political tremors in Bihar
The sudden withdrawal has created ripples in Bihar’s political landscape. Only two days earlier, JMM’s central general secretary and spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya had announced that the party would contest six seats independently. The abrupt reversal of that decision has sparked intense speculation about growing fissures within the Grand Alliance and possible realignments ahead of the Jharkhand Assembly elections.