A meeting between Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Hemant Soren here on Thursday sealed the alliance between both parties ahead of the Lok Sabha poll and for the next Assembly elections.

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Babulal Marandi’s Jharkhand Vikas Morcha and the Rashtriya Janata Dal will also be part of the alliance.

While the Congress will be the bigger partner for the Lok Sabha poll, Mr. Soren’s JMM will be the lead player in the Assembly polls. However, sources familiar with the development said the parties had not finalised the number of seats to be contested by the alliance partners. There are 14 Lok Sabha seats in the State and in 2014, the Congress drew a blank.