Speculation of major political reshuffle in Jharkhand. CM Hemant Soren’s JMM may join NDA by forging alliance with BJP. 8 Congress MLAs can also change sides. Prevention and development of ED cases are considered to be the main reasons.
Ranchi: There are reports that the politics of Jharkhand is on the way of a big change. According to sources, Chief Minister Hemant Soren and his party Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) have expressed their desire to go with their old rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It is being said that massive efforts are going on for JMM to join NDA.
Just days after the Grand Alliance’s crushing defeat in Bihar, its impact is now visible in the east. There is a lot of stir in the politics of Ranchi due to the news of talks going on behind the scenes between Soren and big leaders of BJP. Several media reports have confirmed that Hemant Soren and his wife Kalpana recently met top BJP leaders in Delhi, raising speculations about the formation of a new power equation in the state.
According to multiple reports from the Congress and JMM camps, the media has reported that at least eight of the 16 Congress MLAs are in talks to join a new party led by Soren with outside support from the BJP. According to a report in ‘The Sunday Guardian’, senior Congress sources have privately admitted that talks are going on and informed that “things will become clear in two days.”
To avoid disqualification under the anti-defection law, at least 11 Congress MLAs will have to leave the party en masse, although any final decision will depend on the Speaker, JMM’s Ravindra Nath Mahato.
JMM has 34 seats
If this alliance is formed, the balance will be heavily in Soren’s favor. In the 82-member assembly elected last November, JMM has 34 seats, while BJP has 21 seats. With one MLA from LJP, one MLA from AJSU and one MLA from JD(U), the alliance between the two will get 58 seats, much more than the 41 seats required for majority.
Sources cited in the media have also indicated that the post of Deputy Chief Minister was also discussed in the talks. In contrast, the JMM-led alliance with Congress (16 MLAs), RJD (4) and Left (2) has 56 seats, but the internal unity is weakening day by day.
Experts believe that there are mainly two reasons behind this rethinking of JMM. First, the hope of better relations with the Centre, which may accelerate the stalled development work in Jharkhand. Secondly, there is concern in the Soren camp regarding the pending cases of Enforcement Directorate (ED) related to corruption. Both these things are the main reasons for forcing JMM into alliance with BJP.
According to a new bill introduced in Parliament in August, which is now with the Joint Parliamentary Committee, a Chief Minister or Prime Minister will have to resign on the 31st day of his arrest or he will automatically lose his post. Sources say that this has increased the urgency to get political security before any legal complications in future.
According to the report mentioned above, another reason for speculation is the Centre’s plan to give Bharat Ratna next year to JMM founder and former Chief Minister Shibu Soren, who died in August. Many within the JMM believe this could be both a symbolic engagement and a political opportunity towards a new alliance.
Has an agreement already been reached between BJP-JMM?
Hindi media reports from Jharkhand are going a step further and claiming that a “preliminary agreement” has already been reached between JMM and BJP and that the Delhi meeting was not just a courtesy call. A source quoted by Navbharat Times said that if Soren joins hands with the NDA, “it would be one of the most unexpected political changes in recent Indian history.” There was a tough contest between the two parties during the 2024 Lok Sabha campaign.
Congress kept silence
As speculations are increasing, both JMM and Congress parties have maintained silence, while BJP has also refused to clarify its stand. However, political experts are clearly accepting these signals. It remains to be seen whether Hemant Soren will finally come out of the INDIA block and join hands with BJP. But changing alliances, high-level meetings and possible defections indicate that the current political story of Jharkhand is heading for a dramatic turn.