Ranchi: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, also the BJP’s co-in-charge for Jharkhand Assembly elections, on Friday said National Democratic Alliance (NDA) constituents AJSU Party will contest 10 seats, JD(U) two and LJP (Ram Vilas) one.
Sarma said while the seat-sharing arrangement is nearly finalised, the BJP is adopting a “wait and watch” strategy as rival parties, including the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, are yet to disclose their plans.
The elections for the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly will be held in two phases, on November 13 and November 20, with the counting of votes scheduled for November 23.
Sarma said, “NDA allies AJSU Party will contest 10 seats, JD(U) 2, and LJP (Ram Vilas) 1 in Jharkhand as per the seat-sharing arrangement, which is almost finalised.” AJSU Party will contest from Silli, Ramgarh, Gomia, Ichagarh, Mandu, Jugsalai, Dumri, Pakur, Lohardaga, and Manoharpur. JD(U) will field candidates in Jamshedpur West and Tamar, while LJP (Ram Vilas) will contest from Chatra, he said.
Sarma made these remarks in the presence of Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and AJSU Party chief Sudesh Mahto.
As per the arrangement, the BJP will contest 68 seats, but discussions are ongoing, and a final decision will be made soon.
“We will fight the elections under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and on the agenda of development,” Sarma said.
Chouhan said the central leadership has decided the NDA will jointly contest the elections in the state to “save the identity of Jharkhand and to protect ‘Mati, Beti, and Roti’ (land, daughter, and bread).” He expressed confidence that the INDIA bloc, which he blamed for the misrule in the state, will be ousted.
Mahto claimed that corruption reached its peak during the JMM-led alliance’s rule in Jharkhand, affecting all sections of society.
