NEW DELHI: Lok Janshakti Party president Chirag Paswan announced on Tuesday that his party will contest 50 seats in the Jharkhand assembly elections on its own after his efforts to ally with the BJP, its senior partner in Bihar, went in vain.
The LJP also named its five candidates for the polls, scheduled to be held in five phases between November 30 and December 20, to the 81-member assembly.
"The state unit of the party had to take a decision on fighting the Jharkhand assembly polls. It has decided that the Lok Janshakti Party will contest 50 seats on its own," Paswan said.
Though the LJP was keen for an alliance with the BJP, the saffron party was reluctant as its leaders believed that the regional party did not have much to offer electorally in the state.
The BJP and the LJP are allies in neighbouring Bihar.
Paswan said he had reached out to senior BJP leaders, including party president Amit Shah, with an offer of alliance and was going solo after finding no response.
Another BJP ally in Bihar, the Janata Dal (United), has already announced that it would contest the Jharkhand polls alone.
The BJP received a setback on Monday when its Jharkhand ally AJSU unilaterally announced a number of candidates, including against senior saffron party leaders.
BJP leaders are working to defuse the crisis as the party begins its campaign to retain power in the state, which has 81 assembly constituencies.
Paswan also termed as unfortunate the imposition of President's rule in Maharashtra and took a dig at the Shiv Sena, saying people's mandate was for the NDA but the regional parry's ambition prevented formation of government in the state.