LJP snubs BJP in Jharkhand, to contest alone on 50 seats

The BJP on Tuesday received another setback after its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ally Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) decided to contest the Jharkhand Assembly polls alone.

The 81-member Jharkhand Assembly will vote in five phases starting from November 30 to December 20. Counting of votes will take place on December 23. Sharing the news of contesting alone, Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan's son, Chirag Paswan, who recently took over the reins of the party said, "The decision to contest election in Jharkhand was to be taken by the party's state unit. And the state unit of the LJP has decided to contest on 50 seats independently. By today evening the party will release the first list of candidates."

LJP contested unsuccessfully on one seat in 2014 Assembly polls in the state.

The BJP was left redfaced after Shiv Sena, its 30-year-old alliance partner in Maharashtra, snubbed the saffron party over government formation in the state.

Even Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal-United (JD-U) has decided to go it alone in the Jharkhand Assembly polls. The BJP, LJP and the JD-U currently have a coalition government in Bihar.

The BJP is contesting the Jharkhand Assembly polls in alliance with the AJSU. The BJP released the first list of 52 candidates for the Assembly polls in the state on Sunday. IANS