With “crucial” NDA ally JDU expressing keenness to contest the Jharkhand Assembly polls along with the BJP, the saffron party is having sleepless nights over seat-sharing.

The BJP had fought the recent Lok Sabha polls with its old ally Ajsu (though Ajsu had contested separately in the 2019 Assembly polls in Jharkhand after differences with then chief minister Raghubar Das) and now it will have to give some of its “own” seats to the JDU.

Though senior BJP leaders officially passed the seat-sharing decision onto the “party central committee”, insiders said the leadership would have a tough time managing resentment among local party aspirants for Assembly seats if they accommodate allies.

“Party leaders should keep in mind that district-level leaders nurture hope of contesting polls. We can understand the two sitting seats for Ajsu (Silli and Gomia) but now we have to contend with our traditional seat of Jamshedpur East (which was won by Independent MLA Saryu Roy in 2019 and who joined the JDU this month),” said a Ranchi-based BJP leader.