Senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Raghuwar Das on Tuesday claimed that he could not participate in a party's programme led by former Chief Minister Arjun Munda on Monday due to ‘illness’ and there is no rift of any kind in the party.
Talking to newsmen at his residence here, Das said, “I could not participate in the Jail Bharo campaign due to illness and it has nothing to do with any sort of differences”.
Munda along with former State BJP President Dr. Dineshnand Goswami, former MP couple Shailendra and Abha Mahato, who had returned to the party fold recently, Potka MlA Menaka Sardar and several others participated in a rally of the party and courted arrested but Das, a local MlA, was ‘mysteriously’ absent despite being in the town, which also happens to be his home city.
Without naming Arjun Munda, Das also claimed that the next assembly elections in the State would be contested under collective leadership without declaring any one individual as chief ministerial candidate.
Das also ruled out any possibility of re-alignment with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha for formation of government in the state. He also claimed that the parting ways of JD-U, a 17 year old ally, won't have any adverse effect on the BJP's poll prospects.