JMM Enters Assam Polls with 21 Candidates

• JMM announces 21 candidates for Assam Assembly polls
• Focus on tea tribe community across constituencies
• Hemant Soren projected as key campaign face
• Party open to alliances in Assam

GG News Bureau
Guwahati, 23rd March: The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Monday announced its list of 21 candidates for the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, marking a strategic push to expand its footprint beyond Jharkhand.

JMM general secretary Vinod Kumar Pandey said the decision was taken after detailed deliberations, with the party aiming to contest 21 seats in the 126-member Assembly.

Among the key candidates announced are Priti Rekha Baria (Mazbat), Teharu Gour (Biswanath), Amit Nag (Khumtai), Bhuben Murari (Chabua), Phedricson Hasda (Gossaingaon), Baldev Teli (Sonari), Peter Minj (Duliajan), Paban Sautal (Rongonadi), Bharat Nayak (Digboi) and Prabhat Das Panika (Bhergaon).

The party is focusing heavily on the tea tribe community, estimated at around 70 lakh people in Assam, many of whom trace their roots to Jharkhand’s Chhotanagpur region. JMM leaders believe these communities remain underrepresented and are seeking stronger political voice.

Projecting Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren as a central figure, the party said his outreach and advocacy for tribal rights have resonated with communities beyond his home state.

Soren has been actively engaging with tribal issues in Assam and has positioned himself as a national voice for marginalised communities. His recent visits and statements on tribal rights have been seen as part of JMM’s broader expansion strategy.

The party is also banking on Kalpana Soren’s growing popularity among tribal voters and has indicated openness to forming alliances with opposition parties in Assam.

With this move, JMM is attempting to transition from a regional force to a wider national player, while targeting Assam’s complex social and political landscape ahead of the elections.