RANCHI: After JVM chief Babulal Marandi indicated that he will be going solo in Assembly polls, Congress leaders have been making efforts to placate him as he has been an important ally of Mahagathbandhan in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
State Congress president Rameshwar Oraon met Marandi at his residence on Monday and tried to convince him to reconsider.
Marandi, while speaking to the media in Giridih on Sunday, had said that his conscious says that he should go solo.
“If I introspect, it gives rise to several doubts. Moreover, no serious move has been made by any of the Opposition parties in this regard, barring few personal meetings and there is no time left for such talks,” he said.
“Talks are still on and we are making all efforts to convince Babulalji so that he also joins us in the grand alliance,” said the Congress chief. All differences among the partners of the grand alliance will be sorted out within the time limit, he added.
Though the dates for Assembly polls were declared on Saturday, the grand alliance is yet to take shape in Jharkhand as Marandi is not ready to accept Hemant Soren’s leadership and hence has made up his mind to go solo. Political experts also called it a smart move which ultimately will help Babulal Marandi to fetch more seats in the Assembly.
“It will be good for him if Babulal Marandi goes alone in Assembly poll as we have already seen results of the LS polls,” said a veteran journalist.