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Parties gear up for Jharkhand polls

RANCHI, AUG. 31. There is frenetic activity in the State with political parties deliberating on seat sharing arrangements and galvanising grassroot activists in view of the upcoming Assembly elections.

The ruling National Democratic Alliance's major partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which has reiterated that it will continue its alliance with the Janata Dal (United), announced that it will field candidates in 60 Assembly seats.

Though new State JD(U) chief Inder Singh Namdhari has claimed that his outfit would contest in 35 seats, a final decision is awaited as his party is yet to nominate members for the coordination committee.

Though the NDA is yet to work out seat-sharing agreements, the alliance is all set to woo the electorate by launching a blitzkreig against the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) dispensation at the Centre for failing to contain hike in the prices of essential commodities and steep hike in oil prices.

Following the resignation of former Coal and Mines Minister Shibu Soren, the emboldened alliance leaders are planning to take to the streets on the issue of "tainted ministers", according to BJP sources here.

The main opposition Congress is also all geared up for the polls and its resounding victories in the last parliamentary polls has ensured an upbeat mood in the Congress camp. State Congress chief Thomas Hansda told reporters here that his outfit would launch `parivartan rath yatra' from September 20 to build up a public opinion against the Arjun Munda government. Mr. Hansda squarely blamed the State Government for failing to contain the violent activities of left-wing guerrillas and the drought-like situation in the State. He alleged that the callous attitude of the Munda government had caused starvation deaths in the State.

The State Congress chief said his party was preparing to contest from all the seats, though the final decision would be taken after consultation with the high-command.

The key ally of Congress, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) is on a war-path against the Arjun Munda government, which it believes engineered the removal of `guruji' and is behind the subsequent warrants against him. The JMM, which registered significant victories in the parliamentary elections will contest the polls in alliance with the Congress and claims that Mr. Soren's incarceration will accrue more electoral benefits than the previous polls, JMM sources said.

However, the party is yet to finalise its seat-sharing arrangements with the Congress. Meanwhile, the BJP is attempting to drive a wedge between them by saying that it was the Congress which was behind the Soren episode. Mr. Hansda dismissed such allegations as mere electoral gimmicks and said such tricks would not work.

Interestingly, lesser known political outfits like the Samajvadi Jana Parishad (SJP) are also keen register their presence and have decided to field candidates in assembly polls in Jharkhand and Maharashtra.

UNI

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• Parties gear up for Jharkhand polls

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