“People have sidelined BJP in Jharkhand”: Congress’ Rajesh Thakur

Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], November 24 (ANI): As the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led Mahaghatbandhan won the 2024 assembly elections in Jharkhand, Congress leader Rajesh Thakur on Sunday said that the people of the state sidelined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“Winning is in the hands of the public. We have got the mandate of the people. In a democracy, people are always superior. We have got the mandate of the public. We do not care about those making allegations against us. I believe they have returned to their homes and it is better if they work for the welfare of their own states. People have worked to sideline the BJP here. Now we have to focus on the work we have to do. Our central point will be to cater to the public,” former Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur told ANI.

Speaking on the cabinet shuffling, Thakur said that this will be decided when they hold a meeting with the MLAs.

“We will take further decisions in the CLP meeting and in the meeting with our INDIA alliance partners,” the Congress leader added.

Meanwhile, Jharkhand Congress in-charge Ghulam Ahmed Mir on Sunday said that a meeting of the winning candidates of the alliance has been called today to start the process of forming the government in the State.

“Today at around 12 o’clock there is a meeting of the MLAs of the alliance and from there the process of forming the government will start,” Mir told ANI.

Reacting to the results of Jharkhand polls, Mir stated that the mandate, the alliance has received is enough and ‘respectable’.

He said, “…Today, those people who were spreading rumours about Congress have got an answer. This is a respectable mandate, although our expectations were more than this… I do not think that the figure we have received is less because BJP’s fight was with Congress only, apart from this there were many other elements who were fighting with Congress….”

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) won 34 seats, with its allies winning 22 seats.

Among JMM’s allies, the Congress won 16 seats, RJD four seats, and CPI-ML two seats. The BJP won 21 seats, and its allies AJSU, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), and JD-U won one each.

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led alliance is set to retain power in the State where assembly polls were conducted in two phases. The first phase was held on November 13 and the second phase on November 20.