Jharkhand assembly elections: Maharashtra deadlock makes BJP cautious of Ajsu Party

RANCHI: Fearing a Maharashtra-like impasse in Jharkhand after the assembly polls, BJP is treading cautiously while finalising a seat-sharing deal with ally Ajsu Party.
In Maharashtra, the delay in government formation continues for more than 10 days after the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance won a clear majority because of a tussle over cabinet berths.
In Jharkhand too, differences between BJP and Ajsu Party remain unresolved even as the nomination for the first phase of polling on November 30 began on Wednesday.
For the BJP-led NDA, which is aiming to win 65-plus seats, striking a cordial deal with Ajsu Party is proving to be a tightrope walk as the party is facing dissent from within following the induction of five sitting MLAs from opposition benches recently.
The biggest difference between BJP and Ajsu Party are over three seats - Lohardaga, Chandankyari and Ramgarh - with both unwilling to budge from their stand.
A senior BJP leader said, "If the NDA's seat-sharing deal is not satisfactory for Ajsu Party, it would mean carrying forward the aches and allow the situation to bust later, like in Maharashtra."
He added, "Ajsu Party kept criticising the Das government despite being part of it for the past five years, but never walked out of it. With making fresh claims for seats before the assembly polls, it is exhibiting pressure tactics. What's the guarantee that it won't armtwist BJP further after the polls? We are cautiously crafting our moves."
Another leader cited why Ajsu Party's demands over Lohardaga and Chandankyari are illogical.
"The party's performance in Lohardaga bypolls was unsatisfactory. Hence, we inducted Congress MLA from Lohardaga Sukhdeo Bhagat to up our tally. In Chandankyari, we have a sitting minister (Amar Kumar Bauri). It will be a loss of face for us if we keep surrendering to Ajsu Party's demands," he said.
A BJP core committee member said the saffron party had given its sitting seats twice to Ajsu Party's to ensure the latter's candidate become an MLA in mid-2000s and an MP in 2019.
"Ramgarh was with BJP when former CM Babulal Marandi was in our party. We later gave it to Ajsu Party's Chandra Prakash Choudhary who became an MLA. In the 2019 general elections, we again gave our sitting seat in Giridh to send Ajsu Party's candidate Chandra Prakash Choudhary to Parliament. To prevent Ajsu Party from doing a Shiv Sena, the party has appropriate plans in place," he said.
BJP's general secretary Dipak Prakash, however, said, "NDA is intact and will make an impact in Jharkhand elections to throw the mahagathbandhan in tatters."