Talks with Congress fail; JMM releases list of 21 candidates for Assam Assembly polls

On the last day of filing the nomination, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Monday (March 23, 2026) released the list of 21 candidates for the coming Assam Assembly election after its talks with the Congress failed. 

The JMM is contesting the Assam Assembly polls solo. However a regional outfit Jai Bharat Party (JBP) is supporting the JMM. 

Out of 19 seats reserved for the Scheduled Tribes (ST), the JMM fielded candidates in just one Assembly constituency — Bokajan, where the party has fielded Pratap Singh Rongphar.

Around 15 constituencies have tea tribe populations which are sizeable in numbers and many have social-cultural links to Jharkhand.

The JMM Central Committee issued the list signed by general secretary-cum-national spokesperson Vinod Kumar Pandey who also released the list of the candidates on its official ‘X’ handle.

Among the other candidates, Priti Rekha Barla will contest from Mazbat, whereas Teharu Gour will contest from Biswanath. Amit Nag has been nominated from Khumtai and Bhuben Murari from Chabua.

Similarly, Phedricson Hasda will contest from Gossaigaon and Baldev Teli from Sonari, Peter Minj from Duliajan and Paban Sautal from Rangonadi.

The JMM has also fielded Bharat Nayak from Digboi, Prabhat Das Panika from Bhergaon, Mahabir Baske from Tingkhong, Abdul Mazan from Barchalla, and Mathew Topno from Rangapara.

The other candidates include Jernail Minj from Margherita, Sanjay Bagh from Naharkatia, Muna Karmakar from Makum, Ratnakar Tati from Doomdooma, Sahil Munda from Sapekhati, Sonia from Titabor and Prabhakar Das from Khowang.

The JMM is eyeing to influence roughly around 70 lakh tea tribes in the north-eastern State.

Letter to Assam CM

Earlier, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren had expressed his concern over the tea tribe by writing a letter to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, claiming that tea tribes were marginalised despite their significant contribution to the economy of the northeastern State.

In his letter to Mr. Sarma, Mr. Soren had expressed deep concern about the plight of 70 lakh tea tribe community members in Assam and sought Scheduled ST status for them as currently they fall under Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

Asked about the reason for the failure of alliance with the Congress, Rajesh Thakur, former president of the Jharkhand Congress who has been appointed observer for Murshidabad in West Bengal elections, said Mr. Soren held discussions with senior Congress leaders but a consensus could not be reached on several issues.

“The JMM is currently focused on expanding its party and during the negotiations regarding seat-sharing, the JMM sought to contest seats where the Congress had already finalised its candidates,”Mr. Thakur told The Hindu over phone.

Sources in the Congress said, the JMM was offered five seats, however they were also asking for seats for its alliance partner JBP, which the Congress could not spare.

Reacting to the development, Jharkhand Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Pratul Sahdeo said, “The Congress keeps on insulting the JMM on every given opportunity whenever the JMM has asked for seats in Assembly elections in neighbouring States. The Congress and the RJD promised the JMM a few seats in Bihar elections. But they ultimately were taken for a ride in Bihar and did not get even a single seat.”

He further said, “This time too in Assam there was talk of the JMM getting 25-35 seats in alliance with the Congress but true to its colour, the Congress did not give the JMM even a single seat. It is high time for Chief Minister Soren to realise that backstabbing is in the DNA of the Congress.”