The Hindu : National : LJP’s Jharkhand unit merges with Congress

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LJP’s Jharkhand unit merges with Congress

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Jharkhand unit of the Lok Jan Shakti Party (LJP) on Monday merged with the Congress. It was in protest against the Central leadership’s decision to contest four seats in the State.

In the evening, LJP president Ram Vilas Paswan announced the dissolution of the party’s Jharkhand unit.

The merger was announced by Congress in-charge of Jharkhand, K. Keshav Rao, at the party headquarters here. Sitting beside him, LJP’s State unit chief Hedayatullah Khan said Mr. Paswan made him file the nomination papers for the Jameshedpur seat. According to Mr. Khan, the LJP State unit was of the unanimous view that contesting the Lok Sabha polls in Jharkhand would only split the secular vote.

“Therefore, we decided to go against the diktats of our central leadership, and work for the Congress.”

As per the seat-sharing arrangement between the Congress and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, no seat was left for the LJP, while the RJD had been left its two sitting seats – Chatra and Palamu. Following the breakdown of the alliance in Bihar, the Congress last week decided to field a candidate in Chatra also.

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