When just hours are left for the verdict of the 2014 Assembly elections to be declared, parties have begun taking their positions well in advance. After having indulged in a fierce battle for over a month with each other, some have shed their ego while others have softened a bit to make compromises. Sitting pretty among the whole lot is the BJP which has been declared a clear winner of the mêlée by most of the predictions.
The JMM that has been running the incumbent Hemant Soren Government with the support of the Congress and RJD has played down the ‘exit poll results’ terming those a ‘farce’ and at the same time hinted strongly to repeat the feat again.
“All the exit polls shown in the media are not anything but a joke. These are complete nonsense. These people, sitting in AC rooms in Delhi, are making the predictions based on inconsequential information. Our own assessment is that we would not be getting less than 30 seats in the State and remain the single largest party,” said JMM general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya on Sunday.
The counting of votes of the 81-member Assembly election would take place on Tuesday. Even if the JMM’s prediction proves correct, the Shibu Soren-led party would remain short of majority and would have to resort to post-poll alliance with its present allies.
“We will see that in the days to come and when the results are out,” said Bhattacharya when asked about taking support from the Congress and RJD in the process to clinch a deal.
The Congress as already expected is ready to bend backwards and just praying to secure seats anywhere near to its 2009 strength, 13. The party, which had fought the elections separately from the JMM despite running the Government with it, is not hopeful of a decent show.
“It would not be near to our present seat. Taking the present allies RJD and JD-U it would remain around 10-11 seats. Our main goal has been to stop the BJP and we would do whatever in our capacity to accomplish that,” said a senior Congress leader.
None of the ‘Exit Polls’ has given more than 11 seats to the Congress combine while most of the predictions put the JMM below its present number 18. On the other hand, the saffron party is shown securing the half way mark on its own in the State. Even BJP’s opponents are admitting the lead it has taken.
“I see the seats they are giving to the BJP as exaggeration a bit. There is no doubt the BJP would emerge as the single largest party in this polls. Our assessment is that it would reach 37-38 mark thanks to its better show in Santhal Pargana area. But we would also be getting between 12-14 seats,” said JVM general secretary Praveen Singh.
Singh also made it open that his party has gravitated towards the BJP and is mulling to extend “issue based” support to it considering the repetition of hung Assembly again in Jharkhand. “We would not say that Babulal Marandi should be the CM but the BJP would also have to open up a little more. Everything has not to be decided from Delhi and it has to come clean on mining and other policies.”
Indifferent to all this, the BJP is feeling vindicated. “The exit polls are near to the reality. We alone are getting 50 seats. The BJP is going to form a majority Government and it is good for the destiny of Jharkhand,” says a confident Ravindra Rai, BJP State president.