New Delhi – Dec 2 (LatestNewsX) – Hemant Soren’s sudden visit to the capital and his brief talks with BJP leaders are turning into a political talking point, especially now that his own party is increasingly at odds with the Mahagathbandhan opposition after last month’s Bihar Assembly elections. If the relationship shifts, Tejashwi Yadav, the front‑line Mahagathbandhan challenger in Bihar, could find himself in an even more awkward position.
Soren’s JMM already has a slim presence in the state assembly and is under scrutiny from allies, while a family dispute has added to his woes, even as he keeps his seat as Leader of the Opposition. The party had hoped to contest the Bihar polls in tribal‑heavy seats, but after fruitless seat‑sharing talks it decided to pull out of the contest entirely. JMM minister Sudivya Kumar Sonu jabbed at the alliance’s main partner, the RJD, calling it “political immaturity” and “deceit”. Party secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya noted “contradictions” inside the opposition bloc and warned that the alliance might face a “review” in Jharkhand.
Last year, JMM cadres were unhappy when the party fielded fewer seats in both the Lok Sabha and state elections, giving ground to Congress. Looking ahead, the JMM hopes to contest a larger number of seats on its own in 2029, mainly in tribal‑dominant constituencies where it still enjoys strong support. In the 2024 state elections the JMM went up against 43 of the 81 seats, conceding 30 to Congress and giving the remaining 7 to RJD and 4 to other left parties. The final tally was 34 seats for JMM, 16 for Congress, 4 for RJD, and 2 for the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) – Liberation.
When JMM’s candidate captured the Ghatshila seat in a recent bypoll, many expected Soren to replace the lone RJD minister in his cabinet with someone from his own ranks. Instead, he chose to keep the arrangement unchanged despite lingering tensions. Meanwhile, the Jharkhand Congress is bracing for a potential split, even as its four ministers remain in office. Rumours swirl that a split could force at least 11 MLAs to leave the party to escape disqualification under the anti‑defection law. The NDA currently holds 24 seats, with the BJP claiming the bulk at 21.
Even before the 2024 polls, factions within both JMM and Congress voiced the possibility of contesting alone. Some Congress leaders reportedly gauged the opposition on the ground, only to find negative sentiment. Soren, now in his present stint, also keeps an eye on central investigations into a land‑scam allegation. In early 2024 he resigned after being taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate, only to return to office after securing bail.
Observers suggest that breaking away from the INDIA coalition and exploring ties with the BJP could be a strategy to ease both political and legal pressure. This comes amid a new parliamentary bill introduced in August that requires an elected chief or prime minister to step down by the 31st day if arrested, or automatically lose their post. The bill has already been forwarded to a Joint Parliamentary Committee for further scrutiny.
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