Patna, Oct 15 (IANS): As the Election Commission of India announced the dates for the Jharkhand Assembly election, the JD-U has decided to contest 11 seats in the state.

Khiru Mahto, the state president of Jharkhand JD-U and a Rajya Sabha MP, said that the party is resolute in its decision to run in these constituencies and will not back down.

Mahto's statement followed a key meeting held at the residence of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna, attended by senior JD-U leaders, including Ashok Choudhary, the party's Jharkhand in-charge; Sanjay Kumar Jha, the national working president; and ministers such as Vijay Kumar Chaudhary. During the meeting, discussions focused on the party's strategy for the Jharkhand elections.

JD-U, a part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at both the national and state levels, is currently negotiating seat-sharing arrangements with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Jharkhand.

Mahto confirmed that discussions with BJP leadership are ongoing, though a final agreement has not yet been reached.

Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is also overseeing BJP's Jharkhand unit, stated on Monday that the BJP is prepared to offer JD-U two seats, with the possibility of a third seat being considered by the BJP’s central leadership.

However, JD-U leaders have remained firm on their demand to contest 11 seats in the state.

Khiru Mahto responded to Sarma's statement emphasising, “The final seat-sharing arrangement is still under negotiation.”

He refrained from commenting on the exact number of seats, noting that discussions with BJP leadership are ongoing.

Bihar Water Resource Minister and senior JD-U leader Vijay Kumar Chaudhary reiterated the party's position, asserting that JD-U is determined to contest 11 seats.

He emphasised that the party seeks a "respectable" share in the upcoming elections, standing by the statement of Mahto that JD-U will not compromise on its goal.