Sudesh to support BJP chief Prakash

Jamshedpur: Putting an end to all speculations over Ajsu Party’s stand on Rajya Sabha polls, party president and Silli MLA Sudesh Mahto on Thursday said he will back the with NDA candidate (BJP president Deepak Prakash).
Talking to TOI over phone, Mahto said he has always been with the NDA and the party had only decided contested the state polls last year on its own. He said, “I was with the NDA and will continue to remain with the alliance. There is no question of my party supporting the JMM-led mahagathbandhan in the Rajya Sabha polls. Both our MLAs, including myself, will vote for BJP candidate Deepak Prakash.”
Mahto said senior BJP leaders were constantly in touch with him and his decision of supporting Prakash was not a sudden development, even though he had not announced support for anyone. He said his ties with the NDA are strong and time-tested and his decision cannot be called ‘ghar wapsi’. He added that NDA will emerge stronger in the state in the days to come.
BJP and Ajsu Party had fought the 2019 Lok Sabha polls together and won 12 of 14 seats in Jharkhand, with Mahto’s party sending its candidate to the lowed house for the first time ever.
In the last week, both Congress and JMM had claimed Ajsu Party support. Senior Congress leaders, including JPCC president Ramseshwar Oraon, had hinted that Ajsu Party would side with mahagathbandhan candidates. The speculation gathered fuel when CM Hemant Soren (JMM) met Mahto to garner his support for the mahagathbandhan for Friday’s election