JDU flexes its muscles; plans to contest UP elections alone

New Delhi: If all goes as it has been announced by the Janata Dal (United) to contest the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls alone, the BJP — its key partner in Bihar — would really need to re-work its political strategies to make a comeback in the state.

As per JD(U) national general secretary KC Tyagi, the party is preparing to go it alone in Uttar Pradesh and meetings are being held with party's functionaries to strengthen the party organisation ahead of the assembly elections next year.

"We are working on strengthening the party's base in the state. As of now it has not been decided about the number of seats that JDU would contest in the state, but party is primarily focusing on OBC-dominated those assembly seats," Tyagi said.

As per the JD(U) leader, the party is preparing to expand its base outside Bihar and it would contest assembly elections in other states too.

As per experts, the JD-U's decision to contest the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections may prove a setback for its key ally BJP as the JD(U) would try to woo OBC voters in the state that would directly hit the BJP game plan for the next assembly elections.

"The party's face Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar is known for the policies that benefit the most backward sections of society and the party's campaign would be focused on it. If it hurts other parties, we are not concerned," a party leader said, adding that the JD(U) would raise the demand for reservation for extremely backward classes (EBCs) in Uttar Pradesh.

Notably, the JD(U) had not contested the 2017 elections in Uttar Pradesh.