*Representational Picture shows JMM supremo Shibu Soren and Hemant Soren

Though seat sharing agreement is yet to be finalised by them, two leaders of central opposition parties-Congress and JMM-claim to have 'agreed' to fight the 2019 Lok Sabha polls by forming a mega alliance-Mahagatbandhan.

Other than the Congress and the JMM,ex-CM of Bihar Lalu Prasad Yadav led RJD and ex Jharkhand CM Babulal Marandi led Jharkhand Vikas Morcha have reportedly agreed to strike the deal.

This was claimed by the state Congress spokesperson Kishore Shahdev who says: "The initial round of talks has taken place in New Delhi. The Congress, JMM, RJD and JVM-P have agreed in principle to fight the polls together. The second round of talks will take place in the last week of this month also in New Delhi to finalise on seat sharing." 

Even JMM General Secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya has said: "We have agreed to fight the Lok Sabha polls in alliance to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The seat sharing will be decided in the coming days."

Nobody knows the term and conditions reached by these opposition parties to fight the general elections next year together. However, in 2004 the Congress and JMM had formed an alliance for the first time in Jharkhand and won 13 of the 14 seats. 

In 2014, though the Congress, JMM and RJD had fought  Lok Sabha polls in an alliance but failed to make much impact. Following 'Modi wave', the BJP had alone won 12 out of the 14 Lok Sabha seats then.

The left parties-CPI, CPI-M and CPI-ML-none of whom had won any Lok Sabha seat in the past, are reported to have approached the Congress and JMM to contest the forthcoming LS polls together.

Insiders say that the JMM which is biggest opposition party in the Jharkhand Assembly with 18 of total 81 seats,is not ready to sign deal with these parties unless they accept party Executive President and former Chief Minister Hemant Soren as the Chief Ministerial candidate for next year's Assembly polls.

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