Congress and Allies Gear Up for Jharkhand Election Battle

With the Election Commission announcing polling dates for Jharkhand, Congress is negotiating with Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Rashtriya Janata Dal for seat sharing. Elections are scheduled in two phases on November 13 and 20, coinciding with Maharashtra's single-phase election. Vote counting is set for November 23.

In the wake of the Election Commission's announcement of polling dates for Jharkhand, Congress leader Lal Kishore Nath Shahdeo revealed that the party is engaged in discussions with Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) regarding seat sharing arrangements.

Speaking to the press, Shahdeo emphasized that, although limited time remains before the elections, primary preparations are complete. The state Congress is set to convene on October 18 to finalize the candidate list, which will then be submitted to the CEC committee for approval. Key details are expected to be clarified by October 20-22.

Meanwhile, Tejashwi Yadav, former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and RJD leader, reaffirmed the INDIA alliance's commitment to winning the elections, primarily focusing on defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party in Jharkhand. The assembly polls in Jharkhand will occur in two phases on November 13 and 20, with the counting of votes scheduled for November 23, alongside Maharashtra's single-phase election on November 20.

(With inputs from agencies.)