Express News Service
PATNA: After a solo outing in West Bengal and Assam, BJP’s ally in Bihar and NDA member JDU may decide to contest alone in the forthcoming UP assembly elections in 2022
For this, JD-U is learnt to have started preparations in consultation with the UP unit of the party prior to the scheduled assembly elections in 2022.
On Wednesday, National General Secretary of JD-U, KC Tyagi, dropped a political bombshell talking to a TV that the JD-U may go alone in the UP assembly elections only after there would not be a talk on seat-sharing or alliance with BJP.
The JD-U is heading the NDA government in alliance with BJP and two other smaller allies in Bihar even after slipping to the third position in terms ofseats won in the 2020 state assembly elections.
Tyagi claimed that first talks will be held with BJP on alliance and seat sharing. If no progress is made, only then the JD-U will contest alone in over 200 seats in the forthcoming UP assembly elections in 2022.
“We have been in the NDA in Uttar Pradesh in the past also. In 2017 elections also, we were fully prepared. But after the consensus in the party, we decidednot to fight, which benefited the BJP. I have spoken to Yogi Adityanath and said that the popularity of Nitish Kumar in the backward society can also be usedin UP elections”, Tyagi told the media.
He said that the JD-U has electoral base in 200 seats in UP and if decides to contest alone in the polls, the JDU can fight in 200 seats.
Meanwhile, sources said that there are 15 districts in UP including Sonebhadra, Mirzapur, Fatehpur and others wherein the Kurmi voters apart from other classes ofOBC have considerable electoral presence.
“Nitish Kumar is one of the popular leaders among them because of development works done in Bihar along with BJP. So, there would not be any problem if we go alone in the UP polls”, a senior JD-U leader, preferring anonymity said. Meanwhile, JD-U sources in Patna said that KC Tyagi is likely to lead UP JD-U in the polls depending upon the political equations and situation. The UP JD-U has started the process of candidate selections in principle considering the candidates profiles and all equations in mind with the proper consultation with the district heads.
However, Tyagi also said since JD-U is a part of the National Democratic Alliance, therefore, the first priority will be to enter the election fray with the BJP. He ruled out the possibility of political alliance with Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Earlier, JD-U had fought alone in West Bengal, Assam and Jharkhand assembly elections. In West Bengal, JD-U did not win even a single seat and all its candidates forfeited their deposits. When contacted, Bihar BJP leaders refused to comment on the developments leaving further decision to the party’s senior central leaders.
