The Hindu : National : JD(U), BJP face-off in Maharashtra

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Wednesday, Sep 29, 2004

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JD(U), BJP face-off in Maharashtra

By Gargi Parsai

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 28. The Janata Dal (United) and the Bharatiya Janata Party — National Democratic Alliance partners — will face each another in the Maharashtra Assembly elections as the JD(U) has decided to contest 21 seats in the State. Although the BJP, the Shiv Sena and the JD(U) are NDA allies, in Maharashtra the BJP has allied with the Shiv Sena.

The JD (U) will field five candidates in Mumbai, seven in Jalgaon, three in Pune, two each in Udgir and Latur and one each in Udgir and North Mumbai. In the last Assembly elections, the party had contested about 12 seats and drawn a blank.

Core issues

Party sources said the JD(U) president, George Fernandes, the chairman of the parliamentary board, Sharad Yadav, the leader of the parliamentary party, Nitish Kumar, and the former Minister, Digvijay Singh, would lead the campaign in the State. The party's State president, Ranga Richure, is contesting from Udgir. Corruption, the Telgi scam and local issues with a demand for a separate Vidarbha State would be the core issues that the party would take up during elections.

In view of the coming elections in Bihar and Jharkhand, the JD(U) has changed the venue of its next National Executive meeting from Karnataka to Jharkhand. Instead of meeting on October 4, 5 and 6 in Bangalore, it will now meet on October 29 and 30 in Ranchi.

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