BJP on Friday said it will contest the upcoming assembly polls in Jharkhand in alliance with AJSU Party, JD(U) and LJP (Ram Vilas).  Under the arrangement, the saffron party will contest 68 seats, AJSU Party 10, JD(U) 2 and LJP (Ram Vilas) 1, though a final decision will be made soon.

Elections to 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.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, also the BJP's co-in-charge for Jharkhand Assembly elections, said National Democratic Alliance (NDA) constituents All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) Party will contest 10 seats, Janata Dal (United) two and Lok Janshakti Party (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. 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, JD(U) and LJP (Ram Vilas) are valuable partners of BJP, he said. 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. "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 said the NDA aims to eliminate corruption in the state and ensure jobs for youth, as well as empower women. He expressed confidence that the INDIA bloc, which he blamed for the misrule in the state, will be ousted. "Discussions among NDA partners are almost finalised and we will soon come out with the list of candidates," Chouhan said.

AJSU Party chief Sudesh Mahto claimed that corruption reached its peak during the JMM-led alliance's rule in Jharkhand, affecting all sections of society.