Congress-JMM Reach Pact for Elections

NEW DELHI, 8 January 2005 — The Congress party and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led by Sibu Soren yesterday reached an electoral pact for next month’s assembly polls in Jharkhand. As part of the arrangement, JMM would contest 35 seats and Congress 33. The remaining 13 seats in the 81-member House have gone to Rashtriya Janata Dal of Lalu Prasad Yadav and Left parties.

“Under the agreement, JMM will contest 35 seats and Congress 33 and the remaining 13 will be shared by other allies,” JMM Chief and Union Minister Sibu Soren told reporters here after meeting Congress President and United Progressive Alliance Chairwoman Sonia Gandhi.