Confusion over BJP and AJSU Party alliance continued on Friday, with AJSU announcing names of six more candidates from the seats where BJP has already fielded candidates.
However, State BJP election in-charge Om Prakash Mathur who is known for managing crisis reached state capital on Friday. Mathur, talking to media person at Birsa Munda International Airport threw the ball to Central leadership claiming that BJP parliamentary board will take the final call on alliance with AJSU party.
The six seats for which AJSU party announced their candidates today includes, Majhgoan (Nandlal Birwa), Mandar (Hemlata Oraon), Potka (Bullu Rani Singh), Ichhagarh (Harelal Mahto), Hatia (Bharat Kashi Sahu), and Ghatsila (Pradeep Kumar Balmuchu). Balmuchu the former state Congress president has joined AJSU Party on Thursday.
Interestingly, the six Assembly seats for which AJSU party announced its candidates many of them are considered as Saffron party bastion with BJP already announcing candidates in these seats. A senior state BJP leader requesting anonymity said, “The Central leadership should immediately take a decision to snap ties with AJSU Party as they strategically fielding candidates from seats which are considered as traditional bastion of BJP.” The leader further said, “AJSU party being an alliance partner of NDA is secretly working on a mission to cut the vote share of BJP candidates as while selecting the names of candidates the AJSU party is going by caste configuration.
For instance, from Hatia the party is fielded Bharat Kashi Sahu with an aim to divide Sahu vote bank who are considered as traditional voters of BJP.” The BJP leader’s statement assumes importance as both BJP candidate Naveen Jaiswal and Bharat Kashi Sahu comes from Vaishya communities.
Similarly from Ichhagarh AJSU party has announced the name of Harelal Mahto, from where BJP sitting MLA Sadhu Charan Mahto is in fray for second consecutive time.
Meanwhile, BJP election in-charge Om Prakash Mathur who reached Ranchi today to end the impasse had series of meeting with State’s top BJP leadership including Chief Minister Raghubar Das, election co in-charge Nand Kishore Yadav and state BJP organizational secretary Dharampal Singh and others.
Mathur said, “The ball is in the court of AJSU party. We are yet to take any decision on nine seats for which the party has not announced any candidates.” On being asked whether BJP strategy in Jharkhand has collapsed, he said BJP’s strategy never fails as the party is confident of achieving mission 65 plus in Jharkhand.
Moreover, AJSU party chief and two times former deputy chief minister Sudesh Mahto said, “AJSU party is a political outfit, which has born with Jharkhand movement. We have to look into aspirations of people who had fought for creation of a separate State.” On the issue of Mathur’s claim that AJSU party seats demand has been increasing day by day, Mahto said, “BJP is bigger party but they have to go with regional party aspirations.”
Sources said that the decision over alliance with AJSU party will be taken within a couple of days.
Sources said that if AJSU party snaps ties with BJP, it will be double setback for the saffron party as the Lok Janshakti Party has already announced to end ties with BJP in Jharkhand in this election.