RJD insists on 12 seats in Jharkhand polls, pledges support to INDIA bloc despite possible solo run
Expressing dissatisfaction with the seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Jharkhand assembly elections, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Sunday made it clear that it would not accept fewer than 12 seats. Despite this stance, the party emphasized that it would not jeopardize the prospects of the INDIA bloc, even if it decides to go solo.
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Congress had earlier announced that they would contest 70 out of the 81 assembly seats in the state. "Less than 12-13 seats are not acceptable to us, as the RJD has a strong hold on 18-20 seats. We will not sacrifice our position for three or four seats," RJD spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Kumar Jha stated.
"Our primary goal is to defeat the BJP, and we will not sabotage the INDIA bloc's unity," he affirmed. Jha added that, even if the RJD runs independently, the party will extend support to INDIA bloc candidates in 60-62 constituencies. In the previous election, the RJD contested seven seats and secured one, with its MLA Satyanand Bhokta currently serving as a minister in the Hemant Soren government.