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 red-faced after Shiv Sena, its 30-year-old alliance partner in Maharashtra, snubbed the saffron party over the formation of the government in the state by exiting the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

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