RJD eyeing Bihari voters in West Bengal, Assam, Kerala
Patna: After its resounding performance in the recently concluded Bihar polls, the RJD is eyeing Hindi-speaking voters in West Bengal, Assam and Kerala.
The RJD, which has been trying to expand its wings outside Bihar, hopes to give a tough fight to the BJP. Political analysts said that the party has been eyeing sizable “Bihari voters” in West Bengal, Assam and Kerala.
Talking to this newspaper, a senior RJD leader said, “Our party’s decision is based on the feedback from people who have been urging our leaders to contest in areas where Hindi speaking voters, mostly from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, stay. Our senior party leaders are already in touch with like-minded political parties in West Bengal and Assam and will make a final announcement soon”.
Reports suggest that senior RJD leaders are in touch with Badruddin Ajmal of All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), Congress state president Ripun Bora in Assam and Mamata Bannerjee’s TMC in West Bengal.
Political analysts are of the view that RJD’s main interest in AIUDF could be its popularity among Muslim voters in Assam.
On Friday, after the poll dates were announced by the Election Commission, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and the party’s national general secretary landed in Guwahati and held a series of meetings with top leaders of some regional parties. Sources said that after Assam, Mr Yadav along with other senior leaders of the RJD, will also visit Kolkata to discuss the poll related issues with political leaders.
Meanwhile, the JD(U) which is an alliance partner of the BJP in Bihar, is also gearing up to field candidates in West Bengal and Assam in the coming Assembly polls.
Sources in the JD(U) said that leaders in both the states have been asked to identify seats to contest. JD(U) national secretary Sanjay Verma is camping in Assam and the final decision regarding alliance and seats will be taken by the party leadership after the assessment of Assembly constituencies in both the states.
The LJP is also planning to contest the polls in West Bengal and Assam and is currently assessing its party’s position in both the states.