Ranchi, September 29: A day after Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claim that BJP will fight Jharkhand assembly polls in alliance with Ajsu and JD-U, another NDA ally, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) gave an indication of contesting the polls alone.
Union food processing minister and LJP national president Chirag Paswan on Sunday said his party, LJP (Ram Vilas), would contest the assembly elections in Jharkhand, and all options were being explored, including forging an alliance or going solo, for it.
Paswan’s statement came a day after Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is the BJP’s election co-in-charge for Jharkhand, said his party would contest the polls in alliance with the AJSU Party and JD(U) and that the seat sharing deal has almost been finalised.
“The LJP state unit is discussing all options, including contesting the polls in alliance or alone,” Paswan told reporters at the Ranchi airport on the way to Dhanbad where he addressed a rally.
LJP (Ram Vilas), which is a part of the BJP-led NDA, has a strong base in Jharkhand, he said. ”When I was born, Jharkhand was a part of Bihar. This had been my father’s workplace. The party has developed a strong mass base in the state. In such a situation, it has been decided that the party will contest the upcoming assembly polls,” he added
Speaking to the press in Dhanbad, Paswan, said the party has already started preparations for the elections and will announce the names of its candidates soon.
Sarma had on Saturday said the BJP has reached an agreement with its allies, JD(U) and AJSU Party, on 99 per cent of the seats, and discussions were underway for the ”remaining one or two seats”.
