Jharkhand: RJD, Unhappy With INDI's Seat Sharing Formula, Takes ‘2 Minutes Noodles’ Jibe At Allies

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has expressed strong displeasure over the seat-sharing arrangements with its allies, the Congress and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), for the upcoming Jharkhand assembly elections. The Jharkhand Chief Minister, Hemant Soren, announced that the JMM and Congress would contest 70 out of the 81 seats in the state, leaving the RJD feeling sidelined and unhappy. Following the seat-sharing declaration between the JMM and the Congress, the RJD hinted that all options remain open for the party and that all decisions can't be taken instantly like '2 minutes noodles.

RJD leader Manoj Jha voiced his party's disappointment, stating that they were not involved in the decision-making process and that their strength and mass base had been ignored. He pointed out that in the previous elections, the RJD had contested only seven seats, despite having a strong presence in the state, in order to support the alliance and defeat the BJP . However, this time around, the party feels that their contribution and influence have been overlooked.

Manoj Jha Expressed RJD's Willingness To Contest Around 15 To 18 Seats

Jha emphasized that the RJD has a significant presence in various districts and can defeat the BJP alone in several seats. He identified 15 to 18 such seats where the RJD has a strong chance of winning. He expressed his party's willingness to contest these seats and asserted that all options are open for the RJD.

“We have come before you for a special reason. You can see that our entire leadership is here at the request of our leader of opposition Tejashwi ji. We had a meeting this morning and it was decided in that meeting that the strength of votes and mass base is in favour of RJD,” party MP Manoj Jha was quoted by ANI as saying.

“For example, let me tell you that last time we fought on 7 seats because Lalu ji had a big heart, his goal was to oust the BJP , and the goal is the same even today, we were runner-up on 5 seats. The rest of our alliance partners may not have been runners-up in percentage terms on that many seats. A unilateral decision was taken,” the RJD leader claimed.

“Our presence in different districts is powerful, we will urge our alliance partners to take a decision accordingly. Our in-charge is here, our state president is here and since yesterday our leader of opposition Tejashwi ji himself is here. Despite everyone being there, if you did not involve us in the process of allying, then it is painful. In our meeting today, we have identified 15 to 18 such seats in different districts where we are probably capable of defeating the BJP even alone,” he added.

“All options open for us. Not all decisions can be taken instantly like '2 minutes' noodles,” PTI quoted Jha.

Jharkhand Assembly Election: Voting Will Take Place In Two-Phase

However, Congress leader Pawan Khera downplayed the RJD's displeasure, stating that there is no resentment or displeasure within the alliance. This response has only added to the RJD's frustration, as they feel that their concerns are being ignored.

The Jharkhand assembly elections are scheduled to take place in two phases on November 13 and 20, with the counting of votes on November 23. The NDA has already announced its seat-sharing formula, with the BJP contesting 68 seats, AJSU 10 seats, JD(U) two seats, and LJP (Ram Vilas) one seat.

The RJD's unhappiness with the seat-sharing arrangements has created tension within the alliance, and it remains to be seen how this will impact the elections. The party's leadership, including Tejashwi Yadav, is reportedly unhappy with the situation and may consider exploring other options. The RJD's strength and influence in Jharkhand cannot be