BJP ties up with All-India Jharkhand Students Union, gives eight seats

NEW DELHI: In a bid to gain votes of Kudmis — present in sizable numbers and now having ST status — and improve its electoral prospects in Jharkhand, BJP struck an alliance on Monday with All-India Jharkhand Students Union ( AJSU) for the assembly elections in the state, giving the latter eight seats out of 81 to contest.

BJP general secretary Bhupendra Yadav informed reporters that AJSU, which had five MLAs in the outgoing assembly, will be in the fray in Lohardaga, Jugsalaai, Barkaagaon, Chandankyari, Seelli, Ramgarh. It will also put up candidates in two other constituencies which will be decided after consultations with BJP.

AJSU has an impressive following among the Kudmis, a community that had Scheduled Caste status till 2004 when a cabinet decision of the then Jharkhand government g ave i t Scheduled Tribe status.

BJP and AJSU were part of the coalition government headed by JMM earlier in the outgoing assembly. After BJP withdrew support, JMM tied up with Congress.

AJSU chief Sudesh Mahato met BJP chief Amit Shah here to give final touches to the alliance. While Ranchi MP Ram Tahal Choudhary had some reservations about having an alliance with AJSU, others like Arjun Munda, Raghuvar Das were in favour of it. Choudhary later agreed after senior leaders persuaded him.

BJP has already declared candidates for 63 seats. Party general secretary Bhupendra Yadav said alliance with some other parties cannot be ruled out. Decision on candidates for the remaining 10 seats will be announced soon. BJP was also in talks with Babulal Marandi-led JVM-P, but there seems to be no possibility of an alliance as Marandi has refused BJP’s demand that he merge his party.