Otherwise evergreen, mood was somber at the official residence of AJSU chief Sudesh Mahto on Friday when the party met for the first time since the Assembly poll results were declared. This was easily understandable despite the fact that five out of eight of its candidates returned victorious and the party, for the first time, in its political history is going to become part of a majority Government in the State.
No matter if the party is yet to recover from the shocking thrash its supremo Sudesh Mahto has received, it made some advances nonetheless in the form of selection of its legislative body leader and becoming formally a party into the BJP-led bandwagon.
“Our legislative body meeting held on Friday in which Ramgarh MlA Chandra Prakash Chaudhary has been elected the leader of the AJSU legislative party. The meeting also decided to accompany the BJP delegation going to meet the Governor and hand over the letter of support in the favour of the BJP to him. We will run the government collectively for five years,” said party spokesperson Dr Deosharan Bhagat after the meeting.
The party had entered into a pre-poll alliance with the BJP and was offered eight seats to contest. While it managed to win five of those but the tallest figure in the party and two-time deputy chief minister of Jharkhand suffered a humiliating defeat from Silli constituency pouring cold waters on the jubilation. The BJP-AJSU combine has managed simple majority of 42 in the House of 81.
Speaking at the Raj Bhawan after handing over the letter of support to Governor Syed Ahmed in the evening, Sudesh Mahto defined the role his party would play in the new Government. “We have fought the election as a companion of the BJP and would remain a companion in the government,” he said.
Regardless of the developments, party cadres and elected MlAs continued playing emotional drama. Two of the newly elected legislators—Raj Kishore Mahto from Tundi and CP Chaudhary of Ramgarh—offered to relinquish their seats for the party supremo so that he can be elected to the House.
“We have offered to vacate our seats for Sudesh Mahto as Tundi and Ramgarh seats are general seats from where he can contest elections. Now, the decision in this regard has been left to him. He assured us that he would consider the offer,” said Raj Kishore Mahto.
However, it is highly unlikely that Sudesh Mahto would opt for an election putting a seat and the government both at risk. It would also not suit to his stature and reputation.