Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday held consultations with her senior party colleagues as talks for an alliance with Shibu Soren-led Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and formation of a coalition government in Jharkhand reached the final stage.
Defence Minister A.K. Antony, who chairs the sub-group on alliances for the next Lok Sabha polls, AICC General Secretary in-charge of Jharkhand BK Hariprasad, AICC General Secretary Shakeel Ahmed, JPCC chief Sukhdeo Bhagat and CLP leader Rajendra Singh met the Congress President and apprised her of the progress of the talks with JMM so far.
"Our discussions on Jharkhand are at final stage. We will come to you after the final discussion is over," BK Hariprasad told the media outside Gandhi's official 10, Janpath residence here today.
With President's Rule scheduled to end in Jharkhand on July 18, JMM and Congress leaders yesterday held talks on the possibility of formation of government in the state.
With 36 MLAs - JMM (18), Congress (13) and RJD (5) - Congress and the JMM leaders were banking on the support of some independent MLAs for a simple majority of 42 in the 82-member Assembly.
A couple of independent MLAs had been in the erstwhile BJP-JMM coalition government in the state before the JMM withdrew support on January 8 this year, leading to the imposition of central rule on January 18.
