Congress begins preparations to contest 33 assembly seats in Jharkhand

Ranchi, Jun 25 (PTI) Jharkhand Congress has begun preparations to contest 33 out of 81 assembly seats in the upcoming elections later this year, a senior party leader said on Tuesday.

The party had contested 31 seats in the 2019 assembly elections in alliance with the JMM and RJD in the state.

"We contested 31 seats in Jharkhand in the last assembly polls. Thereafter, two more MLAs joined the party. So, currently 33 seats are with Congress and we have started preparations on them," Jharkhand Congress in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir told reporters.

He added that the exact number of seats the Congress would contest would be determined by the final seat-sharing agreement.

Mir was in Ranchi to meet former chief minister Hemant Soren in Birsa Munda Central Jail.

According to party sources, Mir discussed various issues including assembly polls and vacant cabinet berths with Soren.

A cabinet berth from the Congress quota is vacant following the resignation of Alamgir Alam, who is in jail in connection with a money laundering case.

The Congress in-charge said a detailed discussion about Jharkhand assembly elections was held in Delhi with party high command on Monday.

AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi and general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal gave suggestions to Jharkhand leaders to strengthen the organisation in the state and win maximum seats for the party in the upcoming assembly polls.

Assembly elections in Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand are slated later this year.

The tenure of the Jharkhand Assembly ends on January 5, 2025. PTI SAN SAN MNB