RANCHI: Polling on December 12 will be decisive for AJSU (All Jharkhand Students Union) Party, which snapped ties with the BJP following a dispute over seat-sharing a few days ahead of the state elections.
The AJSU is contesting on maximum number of seats in third phase of elections. Of the 17 Assembly seats going to polls, AJSU is contesting on 14.
Prominent faces, including AJSU Chief Sudesh Mahto from Silli and Sunita Chaudhary, wife of former minister Chandra Prakash Chaudhary, are in the fray. Party insiders claimed that the third phase will decide AJSU’s fate on the basis of which future course of action will be decided.
“Third phase is crucial as most of the seats are strategically important for us, be it Silli, Ramgarh, Badkagaon, Gomia, Bermo, Ichagarh or Hatia,” said AJSU spokesperson Vinay Bharat.
Of the 14 seats, party has represented two seats thrice in the Assembly while it prepared for five for the last five years.
Political observers asserted that it is a make or break situation for Sudesh Mahto, who has lost three consecutive elections in the last five years. Moreover, elections are taking place in segments dominated by Kurmis-Koiris, who are vote banks of the AJSU party due to which it has put all its effort to get maximum number of seats in this phase.In 2014, AJSU contested on 8 seats and won 5. This time, it is contesting on 52 seats.