Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Saturday dropped enough hint of contesting Assembly election in Assam as well as in West Bengal in alliance with like-minded parties. Speaking to media-persons in Guwahati, he said that talks have been held with Congress leaders in this regard. The 31 year old leader of opposition in Bihar Assembly said that his party is also exploring possibilities of joining hands with Congress’ alliance partner All India United Democratic Front. It needs to be mentioned that in 2016 RJD and it’s the then Grand Alliance partner Janata Dal-United contested the Assembly election in alliance with AIUDF. Tejashwi said that there are at least 11 Assembly constituencies in Assam where Hindi-speaking people from Bihar, UP, Jharkhand, Odisha and Chattisgarh do matter. They form about 5 per cent of the state’s population.
Tejashwi was also invited by Bodoland People’s Front to attend the Bodoland Accord Day function on February 10. Though the BPF has severed its ties with the BJP in Bodoland Territorial Council election last year its three ministers are still in the Sarbananda Sonowal cabinet. But it is likely that BPF may not go in alliance with the BJP in the coming Assembly election.
Tejashwi also said that he is planning to go to West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. He made it amply clear that he would campaign in all those places to ensure the defeat of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Party sources said that in West Bengal the RJD is most likely to go in alliance with Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress.
On the other hand, the Janata Dal-United too has decided to throw its hat in the ring in Assam and West Bengal. But unlike in Bihar, it will be going alone in both these states. Party sources said that no final decision has been taken on the number of seats to be contested.
