Hemant Soren JMM and Congress to jointly contest elections on 70 seats, announces CM Hemant Soren

The assembly polls will be held in two phases on November 13 and 20 and counting will take place on November 23.

"As per the first round of talks, we have decided that Congress and JMM will contest on 70 seats in the state. The other INDIA alliance partners will contest on rest of the seats," Soren said after meeting with the alliance partners and added, "Details regarding who will contest from which seat will be provided later."

In what could be more strength for JMM ahead of the assembly elections, three-term BJP legislator Kedar Hazra and AJSU Party's Umakant Rajak on Friday joined the political outfit. Hazra, a sitting MLA from Jamua who won the seat in 2019 by a margin of 18,175 votes defeating Congress' Manju Kumari, and Rajak, joined the JMM during a ceremony. Welcoming them to the JMM fold, Chief Minister Soren said both the old warriors, who actively participated in the movement for creation of a separate Jharkhand state, will strengthen the party.