Congress gears up to contest 2014 Jharkhand polls on its own

"The party is planning to contest the elections on its own in Jharkhand and all our party workers are ready for it," Ahmed told reporters here.

The AICC spokesman was here to attend the Pradesh Congress Committee's extended executive meeting in which party workers gave written suggestions in sealed envelopes.

Earlier, PCC chief and Rajya Sabha member Pradeep Kumar Balmachu said the party had not decided on poll tie up for the 2014 elections, but stated that it was readying to contest all the 81 seats.

On Babulal Marandi's JVM pulling out of the alliance, Balmachu said, "(JVM chief) Babulal Marandi had assessed that he would get three to four seats in the 2009 Assembly elections, but was surprised to win 11. This was because of the pre-poll alliance with the Congress."

The votes of the Congress, which had won 14 seats, were transferred to the JVM, Balmachu claimed.

"Many of our leaders and workers did not like the idea of a pre-poll alliance with the JVM in 2009," Balmachu said.

Reacting to Marandi's statement that there was no difference between Congress and BJP, he said when Marandi had been unable to remain in BJP which had made him the chief minister, it was tough for him to ally with any other party.