A couple of days after the ‘Grand Alliance’ announced its seat sharing formula in the State, discontent is still prevailing in the alliance as RJD is still demanding the Chatra seat apart from its allocated Palamu constituency. The Party is still talking for the seat and it is confident that leaders of the alliance will pay heed to their demand.
Just two days earlier, member parties of the alliance announced the seat sharing formula for the all 14 parliamentary seats of the State. Out of total 14 seats of the State the Congress will contest from 7 seats, JMM will contest from 4 seats and JVM will contest from two seats, while RJD has been given just one seat. Congress will contest from Ranchi, Khunti, Hazaribagh, Dhanbad, Chaibasa, Lohrdagga and Chatra while JMM will contest from Dumka, Rajmahal, Giridih and Jamshedpur and JVM (P) will contest from Koderma and Godda. Bone of contention is Chatra parliamentary seat
The leaders’ of RJD were not present at the time of announcement of the seat sharing formula at the joint press conference of leaders of the alliance.
Speaking on the issue at a press meet on Tuesday, the party’s newly appointed State president, Gautam Sagar Rana said that RJD is still demanding two seats including Palamu and Chatra as in this region party holds a strong base and it will try to activate it. “The party is trying to prevent sharing of anti BJP votes in ensuing elections. We are talking to senior Congress leaders in this regard and talks are very positive. We met today State Congress Chief, Ajoy Kumar and Congress Legislature Party Leader Alamgir Alam and put forward our demand. Both the leaders have seriously heard our contention,” he added.
When asked what will be the future strategy of the party if leaders of the alliance will not fulfill their demand, Rana said that there is no question of not fulfilling our demand and we are sure that the party will get the seat. “Talks in this regard are going in right direction and in favourable circumstances. We would meet other senior leaders of the alliance including JMM, Executive president, Hemant Soren and JVM president, Babulal Marandi,” he added.
On the question of former State RJD president’s joining BJP, Rana said that it will not impact on the party and the party’s State Executive Committee is still functioning. “She has been in touch with BJP since so many months. It is called politics of opportunism,” he added.