Jharkhand polls: AJSU chief Sudesh Mahto confirms alliance with BJP

New Delhi: Jharkhand's AJSU Party chief Sudesh Mahto on Monday announced that his political outfit will contest the Jharkhand assembly polls in alliance with the BJP.

The announcement came after Mahto met with senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah here.

"Today I met with Union Minister for Home Affairs and Cooperation Amit Shah in New Delhi. On this occasion, there was an in-depth discussion on various topics related to the development of Jharkhand, the current political situation and the upcoming assembly elections," he said in Hindi on X after the meeting.

"The NDA government is necessary for the state of Jharkhand and we will fight the elections unitedly," Mahto said and shared a picture of his meeting with Shah.

The AJSU Party had contested the last assembly polls alone in Jharkhand. However, it tied up with the BJP for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Speaking to PTI after he met with Shah, Mahto said, "We discussed the prevailing political scenario in Jharkhand. We also discussed how we can go together and win people's faith in the state." "We also discussed at the meeting the functioning of the JMM-led government in the state and its impact," he added.

The issue of senior JMM leader and former Jharkhand chief minister Champai Soren expressing his resentment with his party was also discussed in the meeting, Mahto said.

The AJSU Party chief's visit comes on a day when Champai Soren also arrived in Delhi for the second time in 10 days amid speculation that he may meet senior BJP leaders here to discuss his future political course of action.

Champai Soren was made the chief minister of Jharkhand earlier this year following the arrest of the then-chief minister Heman Soren by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering case.

He later had to step down to enable Hemant Soren to come back at the helm after he was granted bail in the case in June.

In the twist and turns of politics in Jharkhand, Champai Soren recently visited Delhi amid speculation of him switching sides to the BJP.

The senior JMM leader, who is considered to have clout over 14 assembly segments in the Kolhan region of the state, recently said that he would not quit politics and that the option to float a new political outfit was always open to him.

He said he was firm on his plans after "facing humiliation at the hands of the leaders of JMM", a party the veteran leader claimed that he had devoted his entire life to.

Speaking to PTI ahead of his meeting with Shah, Mahto said he has not spoken to Champai Soren in connection with the developments so far. "But it is a massive political development in Jharkhand as Champai Soren is a big face in Jharkhand politics," he added.

"Champai Soren has options before him today and he has to take a decision now," the AJSU Party chief added.