RANCHI, March 24 -- In a sign of fissures in the INDIA bloc, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-lead partner in the JMM-Congress-RJD coalition government in Jharkhand, led by chief minister Hemant Soren-announced its list of 21 candidates on Monday for the elections to the 126-member Assam assembly.

Monday was the last day for nominations. The party declared its list for 21 constituencies, including one reserved for the scheduled tribe, defying all speculation of a possible alliance with other parties, including the Congress which is the principal opposition in Assam-a state ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for a decade.

"After a detailed deliberation, the JMM has decided to contest 21 seats in the upcoming assembly elections in ...