JMM raises concerns about the Election Commission's independence ahead of the announcement of the Jharkhand elections.

Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], October 15: Ahead of today's announcement of the Jharkhand Assembly elections, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) alleged on Tuesday that the Election Commission is not acting independently and is being influenced by the BJP.

In Ranchi, JMM leader Manoj Pandey voiced his concerns, stating, "The election is set to be announced today, but BJP leaders received information about it yesterday. This is a serious issue. Is the commission operating at the direction of BJP leaders? It’s troubling to see the commission being treated as a puppet."

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha tweeted from its official X account, "The boss has set everything up. What a scene! @ECISVEEP, will you respond?"

This statement comes as the Election Commission of India (ECI) prepares to announce the dates for the Jharkhand Assembly elections today.

Pandey also stressed that the JMM is always in election mode. "We are consistently focused on elections because we work for the public interest. Our commitment manifests through public service, which you will observe as an exemplary model of governance under the Hemant Soren administration in Jharkhand. Therefore, we are always prepared for elections," he added.

He mentioned that a formal meeting of the INDIA alliance is scheduled, with details to be shared afterward. "There are still 2-3 seats that need to be discussed before making any announcements," he noted. Regarding the alliance's preparations, Pandey stated that while conversations are ongoing, they may not have been disclosed to the media yet.

When asked about the JMM's plan to address the increase in the Women's General Scheme, Pandey replied, "The country is being misled with promises of transferring fifteen lakhs into accounts, bullet trains, smart cities, and various dreams presented by these individuals. The Hemant Soren government is proving otherwise. We provided one thousand as a maternal honorarium, but they went to court to stop it. Now, we have raised it to twenty-five hundred. Additionally, we will seek one lakh thirty-six thousand crore rupees from the central government; we will advocate for it, and this amount will be increased further."

Meanwhile, Jharkhand Congress chief Rajesh Thakur criticized the Election Commission's timing for the elections. "Given that the due date for elections in Haryana was November 3 and in Maharashtra November 26, why were both not held together? When you disregard us, we feel that such announcements are made for political reasons or under the influence of a particular party," Thakur said.

On the other hand, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari stated, "BJP and NDA are fully prepared for the Maharashtra and Jharkhand elections. We are confident that, like Haryana, Maharashtra will elect a pro-incumbency government led by the BJP. The people of Jharkhand are frustrated with the vote bank and corrupt politics of Hemant Soren, and they are eager to support a pro-development, pro-tribal government under the BJP."