NDA is strong in Jharkhand: BJP

Though talks over seat-sharing between the NDA partners, BJP and AJSU, are still underway, the saffron party on Wednesday asserted their alliance is strong as both the allies uphold the stability and development of Jharkhand. BJP and All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) have been together in all the five NDA governments in the state since it was carved out of Bihar in 2000.

"The NDA alliance is strong. Both the BJP and the AJSU party have come together on the issues of stability and development of Jharkhand; the alliance is there and will remain in the future as well," BJPs state unit spokesman Pratul Shahdeo told PTI here. On Tuesday, AJSU president Sudesh Kumar Mahto said that the party had placed a list of 17 seats before the BJP.

He also said that there should be a "common minimum agenda" from both the NDA allies as the "public should know about it". The AJSU party has already announced its candidates on 12 seats, including Lohardaga, Chakradharpur, Sindri and Simaria seats---all the four seats are also in the BJPs list of nominees already made public.

The BJP had announced its first list of 52 candidates and then on Tuesday added Lohardaga seat, allotting it to sitting MLA Sukhdeo Bhagat who joined the saffron party from the Congress. Asked about Lok Janshakti Party announcing to contest 50 seats in the assembly elections, Shahdeo said, "The LJP should have waited. Now there is nothing to comment after their announcement." The BJP had allotted the LJP one seat in the 2014 assembly elections while it did not have any alliance with the JD (U) in Jharkhand.

Shahdeo added that the BJPs alliance with the Janata Dal (United) is restricted to Bihar. The JD(U) headed by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is also contesting the elections in the neighbouring state on its own.

The state is going for polls in five phases between November 30 and December 20 with counting taking place on December 23..

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)