RANCHI: With the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) claiming three seats for the Lok Sabha Elections, the Opposition ‘Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance)’ in Jharkhand is now ready to reconsider its seat-sharing formula if the students outfit quits the NDA.
AJSU Chief Sudesh Mahto, addressing a worker’s conference in Bokaro on Sunday, had declared that his party will field candidates from Giridih, Hazaribagh and Ranchi Lok Sabha seats.
“We will welcome AJSU with open arms if it comes out of the NDA fold following which, we could also explore other aspects of the Mahagathbandhan. But it will have to part its ways with the BJP first,” said former Union Minister Subodh Kant Sahay in response to Mahto’s claim.
As far as the seat-sharing formula is considered, it could easily be explored amicably by sitting with other alliance partners, he added.“But, one cannot sail on two boats at a time, you will have to leave one or the other for getting stable,” Sahay said.
Functionaries of the AJSU who were privy to strategy discussions asserted that the party will take up any opportunity it gets — be it from within the NDA or outside. They also claimed that the AJSU is eying the three seats keeping the Assembly Elections in its mind so that the organisational structure can be strengthened at the grassroots level.
NDA alliance partners on the other hand, claimed that no formal talks have taken place so far in this regard.