The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has entered into an understanding with the Congress to contest in Lok Sabha seats in Bengal and Jharkhand.

JMM central general secretary and party spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya, Jharkhand chief minister Champai Soren and other senior leaders met senior Congress leaders, including Salman Khurshid and Jharkhand Congress in-charge Ghulam Ahmed Mir, at Congress general secretary Mukul Wasnik’s house in Delhi on Sunday and termed the discussion as “fruitful”.

“We had a very fruitful discussion with Congress senior leaders and both parties have agreed to contest seats in Bengal and Jharkhand in an alliance for the Lok Sabha polls and discussed the number of seats for each party. We also agreed in principle for an alliance in Bihar and Odisha. However, the seat-sharing topics in these two states will be discussed later as Odisha will have simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly polls and Bihar’s political situation has changed suddenly,” said Bhattacharya.

The JMM leader, however, preferred not to disclose the details of the seat-sharing pact, including the number of seats that each party will contest in Bengal and Jharkhand.

“The names of the seats will be announced jointly by both parties when we sit together. It will happen shortly,” said Bhattacharya.

Chief minister Champai Soren had met Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi on Saturday to speak on seat-sharing, among other issues.