Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), which is running a coalition government in the state with Congress and RJD, will extend its support to the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the coming Assembly elections in Bengal, the party making a formal announcement on Friday to confirm what was apparent after it chose not to field any candidate for the first phase of voting on March 27.

Speaking with reporters here Hemant said, “JMM has decided to support Didi (Mamata Banerjee). The decision was taken following a request from her a few days back. She had phoned me, and had also written to me personally to seek our support. Her request was placed before our party supremo Shibu Soren, who only advised us to take the logical decision of stopping communal forces in Bengal. Hence, we are now behind TMC.”

The Telegraph Online had in a March 9 report indicated JMM’s poll position which the party's working president and chief minister Hemant confirmed.

Elections in Bengal will be held in eight phases.

JMM had contested 22 Assembly seats in the 2016 polls in West Bengal. After its emphatic victory in the 2019 Assembly polls in Jharkhand, it began spreading its wings to the neighbouring state with more intensity by contesting on about 25-30 seats. In January, Hemant held a rally in Jhargram bordering Jharkhand as a precursor to mosre such rallis during election time.

Two months down the line, the party has changed its decision. Hemant said that more than contesting the elections, it was important for all like-minded parties to come together in the interest of the nation. “Going by the current political situation in the country, it was very important to stop the communal forces. By contesting elections, we don’t want to be directly or indirectly part of such forces that help in expansion of communal forces. Therefore, in the interest of the country, and state (Bengal), we are pulling out,” he said.

Hemant added that he was in touch with Mamata Banerjee and has assured her the JMM's full support.

Party sources said that Hemant would also campaign for Mamata in the coming days, a schedule for which is being worked out. Mamata is currently recuperating at a hospital in Calcutta after sustaining a hair-line fracture in her leg following an alleged attack on her while campaigning in Nandigram on Wednesday.

Hemant has wished her a speedy recovery and demanded a high-level investigation in the purported attack on the Bengal chief minister.