BJP today struck an alliance with All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) for the upcoming polls to the 81-member state Assembly for which it has given its new partner eight seats.
The deal was struck after AJSU Chief Sudesh Mahto met BJP President Amit Shah and both sides sealed the tie-up following a recommendation of BJP's state unit, BJP General Secretary Bhupinder Yadav, who is also in charge of the party's Jharkhand affairs, said.
"BJP has decided to tie up with like-minded parties in Jharkhand and will contest the upcoming Assembly polls with AJSU. Talks between AJSU and the state leadership were on and they have been successfully concluded," he told reporters.
BJP in its list of candidates declared yesterday had not announced names for five seats, which AJSU had won in the last elections, though it had declared its candidate for Hatia Assembly seat, the 6th AJSU seat. AJSU has six MLAs in the outgoing Assembly.
Among the Assembly seats that BJP has given its new ally are Jugsalai, Chandankyari, Silli, Ramgarh and Lohardaga, currently represented by AJSU, along with the Barkagaon seat.
Yadav said two other seats will be decided by AJSU and its state leadership.
"Our aim is to form a government in Jharkhand with a two- thirds majority that could provide a stable regime to help improve law and order and take the state forward on a speedy path of progress," he said.
AJSU has earlier been part of BJP-led coalition governments in the state but this is the first time both parties will have a pre-poll alliance.
