JMM Ditches Alliance, to Fight 6 Bihar Seats Alone in 2025 Polls

In a strategic move to assert its regional clout, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), led by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, announced on Saturday its decision to contest the upcoming Bihar assembly elections independently. The party, a key player in Jharkhand’s political landscape, will field candidates in six constituencies—Chakai, Dhamdaha, Katoria (ST), Manihari (ST), Jamui, and Pirpainti—set to go to polls in the second phase on November 11, 2025. The announcement marks a significant departure from coalition politics, signaling JMM’s ambition to carve a niche in Bihar’s crowded electoral arena.

The Bihar assembly elections, covering 243 seats, are scheduled for two phases on November 6 and 11, with vote counting slated for November 14. JMM’s decision to go solo, as confirmed by party general secretary and spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya, underscores its confidence in leveraging its appeal among tribal and rural voters in Bihar’s border regions with Jharkhand. The selected constituencies, particularly Katoria and Manihari (reserved for Scheduled Tribes), align with JMM’s traditional voter base, where it aims to capitalize on shared cultural and socio-economic ties.

This move comes amid a fractured opposition landscape in Bihar, where the INDIA bloc’s Mahagathbandhan struggles with internal “friendly contests” that threaten to dilute its challenge against the ruling NDA. JMM’s independent foray could further complicate vote dynamics, potentially splitting anti-NDA votes in these six seats. Political analysts view this as a calculated risk by Soren to expand JMM’s footprint beyond Jharkhand, building on its recent governance achievements and tribal welfare initiatives to resonate with Bihar’s electorate.

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While JMM has not disclosed its candidates yet, the party’s decision to contest independently reflects a broader strategy to establish a distinct identity in a state dominated by heavyweights like the BJP, JD(U), and RJD. As the campaign intensifies, all eyes will be on whether JMM can translate its regional influence into electoral success, or if this bold gamble will merely add to the opposition’s fragmentation, inadvertently bolstering the NDA’s prospects in Bihar’s high-stakes 2025 polls.

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