After the Bhartiya Janata Party lost its decades-old alliance, the Shiv Sena, over seat sharing tiff, something similar happened with the party in Jharkhand too. The party had to break ties with its partner All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) over feud for sharing the seat.

The BJP has now held AJSU responsible for not being able to reach a seat-sharing arrangement in Jharkhand that will go to polls in five phases between November 30 and December 20.

BJP’s state unit president Laxman Gilua said that the party was offering 13 to 14 seats to Sudesh Kumar Mahto’s party against eight seats given to him in 2014. He added that except for two-three seats, AJSU candidates can’t make any dent into the BJP’s poll prospects.

“The BJP had given eight seats to the AJSU party in 2014 assembly polls. This time, the party was ready to consider 13 to 14 seats. But AJSU president Sudesh Mahto was rigid on his claim of 18 to 22 seats,” Gilua said.

Commenting on the development. JD(U)’s general secretary and national spokesperson, KC Tyagi said on November 13 that it is because of BJP’s behaviour that Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) party have took their own path ahead of Jharkhand assembly elections.

Meanwhile, in another setback to the ruling BJP in Jharkhand, the party’s chief whip, Radhakrishna Kishore, on Tuesday joined NDA ally All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) Party after he was denied renomination for Chhatarpur (SC) seat.His decision to quit the BJP was triggered by the party’s announcement of Pushpa Devi as its candidate from Chhatarpur.

The AJSU Party, which has been an ally of the BJP since the creation of the state 19 years ago, demanded 17 seats from the BJP to contest the Jharkhand assembly elections. The demand was rejected by the BJP prompting the AJSU to field candidates on seats where their candidates will take on the BJP nominees.

The Jharkhand Legislative Assembly has 81 seats. While the BJP has announced the names of 73 candidates, the AJSU Party has released lists of 27 candidates. Till now, the two NDA partners will come face to face in 19 constituencies.