Ranchi, December 23: The Congress on Monday pitched for deputy chief minister's post after results showed a clear victory for the party and its senior ally the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) in Jharkhand assembly elections. The Congress and the JMM contested assembly polls together with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). While JMM chief Hemant Soren is the chief ministerial face of the tri-party alliance, there is no clarity on if there will be a deputy CM. PM Narendra Modi Congratulates Hemant Soren on JMM-Congress-RJD Victory in Jharkhand Assembly Elections 2019.

Demanding deputy chief minister's post, Congress leader has said that his party played a key role in the alliance's victory, News18 reported. The JMM-Congress-RJD alliance is set to form the next government in Jharkhand where BJP's Raghubar Das stepped down as Chief Minister after the mandate went against the saffron party. However, according to a TOI report, the JMM and Congress have agreed on not keeping a deputy chief minister if the alliance is voted to power. Hemant Soren to be Jharkhand Chief Minister? Know All About JMM Chief.

"During seat-sharing talks, a primary sketch of power-sharing was drawn out too. In it, it was decided that there will not be any deputy chief minister," a JMM leader was quoted as saying. A Congress leader, quoted in the same report, said that both the JMM and his party will keep five portfolios each.based on seats won by each party. "However, the final portfolio distribution will depend based on seats won by each party. The equations may change," he said.

As per the votes counted so far, the JMM, the Congress and the RJD together have won or was leading in 47 constituencies out of the 81 seats. The BJP won 18 seats and is leading in seven. The All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) has won two seats. The Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P) bagged one seat and was leading in two seats.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 23, 2019 09:22 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).