NEW DELHI: The BJP is said to have reached out to the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) for a post-poll pact, with the party leaders assessing that the Assembly election outcome may throw a cliffhanger in the face of a multi-cornered contest. It has also summoned a large number of Lok Sabha MPs from Bengal and Bihar to swing the poll outcome in the last two phases in constituencies bordering the two states.
“The BJP has been able to recover grounds largely on account of the rallies of PM Narendra Modi. The third phase of the polling took place in the backdrop of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), which has also helped us to push the national agenda on the centre stage after local issues dominated the first two phases,” said a senior BJP functionary.
The Babu Lal Marandi-led JVM is expected to win about five Assembly seats. Marandi had floated the JVM after quitting the BJP. “The BJP tally may stop short of the halfway mark and we will bridge the gap with the JVM’s support, while All Jharkhand Students Union, likely to bag four-five seats, will also return to the NDA. The BJP will be able to form the government,” added the BJP functionary. Thirty-one Assembly seats will go to the polls in the last two phases. The BJP is hoping for a better tally from the last two phases.
“We had entrusted each Lok Sabha seat under the charge of a senior leader brought from outside. For the last two phases, the Lok Sabha MPs from Bengal and Bihar are holding grounds after Parliament session concluded,” said the BJP functionary. While the BJP seemingly struggled to beat local issues in the first two phases, the party leaders claimed that the spirited Parliamentary debate on the CAB brought some relief for the ruling party in the eastern state.
“The spate of protest across the country against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is showing signs of sharp polarisation of the people in the state even though the minority vote base is limited to a few seats only,” said another BJP functionary.
Search for allies a necessity
In the 2014 election, the BJP had won 37 seats in the 81-member Assembly. The AJSU, with five seats, helped it cross the majority mark. But this time, the AJSU is contesting on its own after the saffron party refused to accept its demand of 17 seats. The BJP is looking for allies to consolidate its position in Jharkhand.