In Jharkhand, BJP poised to gain by default as Opposition is in disarray

The Opposition is in disarray but the ruling party faces its share of challenges, writes Radhika Ramaseshan

From all appearances, the Jharkhand Assembly polls later this year look like a cinch for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). If the Lok Sabha election outcome is a hot lead — the National Democratic Alliance won 12 of the 14 seats and secured a vote share of 55.29 per cent— the BJP and its partners, the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) and the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), can stage an encore in this neck of the woods that seldom gives a winner an absolute majority in the legislature. 

Jharkhand has an Opposition that a ruling party would dream of. In this