JMM plans election rallies in Bengal’s Purulia, Alipurduar

Ranchi: Unfazed by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s warnings to “mind his own state” after the January 28 Jhargram rally, Hemant Soren’s party JMM is looking to make a mark in the neighbouring state during the upcoming assembly election and on Wednesday said it will announce its pre-poll rallies in West Bengal on February 14.
JMM general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya, who is also a member of the party’s central committee, has been appointed as the election in-charge of West Bengal.Bhattacharya is due to make a trip to north Bengal on February 20 to oversee the party’s poll preparations.
“The dates of our next rallies will be announced on February 14. The response we got from the people of Jhargram and nearby districts are encouraging,” Bhattacharya said. Two rallies have been planned in Purulia’s Raghunathpur and the district town of Alipurduar in the next 30 days.
A call on its alliance in the West Bengal polls will, however, be taken by February end, sourced in Ranchi hinted. With an eye at the tribal votes, JMM is primarily looking to clinch at least 30 assembly seats of Purulia, West Midnapore, Jhargram and Alipurduar districts.
Party insiders said JMM will focus especially on its efforts on Jhargram, Gopiballavpur, Garbeta, Binpur, Bandwan & Salboni constituencies in Jhagram and Manbazar, Bagmundi, Joypur, Balarampur, Kashipur and Raghunathpur constituencies in Purulia. In north Bengal, the party’s efforts are aimed at Madarihat, Kalchini, Malbajar, Alipurduar and Phansidewa assembly segments. As many as nine of these constituencies are under reserved categories.
Senior JMM leaders have already begun frequenting West Bengal while the party’s unit in the neighbouring state has constituted booth committees in at least nine assembly constituencies spanning in three districts, where it considers chances of better performance.
“In these constituencies, we are in a much better position this time from 2016. Our preparations have begun early and we hope to win,” JMM’s West Bengal unit president Bittu Murmu said. JMM last won a seat in 2006 (Binpur).