JD(U) gets impatient, releases candidates list

RANCHI: The JD(U) on Wednesday released a list of 18 candidates for the Jharkhand Assembly elections. The move comes following a deadlock between the BJP and JD(U) to arrive at a seat-sharing formula. Interestingly, the two parties, till Tuesday, maintained that the alliance was "intact". However, the new development indicates all is not well within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The BJP, notably, has already released its first list of 58 candidates.

JD(U) president Sharad Yadav, soon after a meeting with BJP leaders, told reporters in New Delhi that the talks have broken down. However, senior BJP leader Arjun Munda said talks were still on and hoped that the matter would be amicably resolved. "We are ready to offer priority seats to them," he said. It is believed that while the BJP would leave priority seats to JD(U), there could be friendly fights in a few constituencies.

Meanwhile, a day after the Congress declared it will go it alone, the party resumed fresh talks with the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) for seat sharing. Senior Congress leader and spokesperson Radha Krishna Kishore said consensus could be reached on 26 seats. Mr Kishore had on Tuesday said Congress-JVM talks have failed.