The decision by Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) to stay away from the forthcoming Assembly poll in West Bengal and instead extend support to Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) has boosted electoral prospects of TMC. Working President of JMM and Jharkhand Chief Minister, Hemant Soren had unequivocally pulled out of the Bengal fray when he stated in New Delhi that he would support ‘Didi’ in the Assembly election.
Initially, JMM sources had indicated that the party would be contesting in some of the 30 or 40 Bengal constituencies adjacent to Jharkhand. JMM spokesperson and General Secretary, Supriyo Bhattacharya, had indicated as much and said that in these constituencies JMM had sizeable support among Adivasis and Mahatos. However, after Mamata Banerjee announced the list of party candidates for 291 seats, JMM appears to have had second thoughts. JMM’s decision seemed to be also prompted by its anxiety to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party out of power in the neighbouring state.
