The BJP and ally Ajsu Party will campaign for Lok Sabha polls together in Jharkhand after the BJP sealed a pact to give Giridih parliamentary seat to the latter.

No cracks were visible when talking jointly to the media at BJP state party headquarters on Sunday, state BJP president Laxman Gilua and Ajsu Party supremo Sudesh Mahto said they held long discussions over poll strategy at all levels.

Both in unison said they wanted Narendra Modi as Prime Minister but Sudesh was silent when asked if he would align with the BJP in state Assembly polls to be held later this year.

“The country wants Narendra Modi again as Prime Minister because he has set milestones in the country’s overall development and national security. People want NaMo again. Ajsu Party is part of NDA alliance. The BJP will contest 13 seats and Ajsu Party one seat, Giridih. Ajsu Party is our old-time ally,” said Gilua.

Out of power Sudesh but openly critical of the Raghubar Das led BJP-Ajsu Party state government, especially on the latter’s local job and resident policies, on Sunday heaped praise on Modi.

“Jharkhand will be part of the massive mandate which Prime Minister Modi will get. We will jointly work for a massive NDA victory in Jharkhand. Modiji has fulfilled aspirations of people and made the country strong,” Sudesh said.

Asked how he agreed to ally with the BJP despite his Swabhiman Yatra to mobilise public opinion against the Das government, he said his party would keep raising state-specific issues. “Ajsu Party tried to convey people’s sentiments as alliance partner to the government, which will continue. You must have noticed the government reconsidered its decisions, for instance withdrew its bid to amend land tenancy acts CNT and SPT,” he said, adding Swabhiman Yatra was his independent initiative.

In the last parliamentary polls, Ajsu went alone and contested nine out of 14 seats, losing in all. Sudesh lost badly in Ranchi to BJP’s Ram Tahal Chaudhary. Special status for Jharkhand and 27 per cent reservation for the backward class in Jharkhand government jobs were Ajsu’s two poll planks. But on Sunday, Sudesh said he would junk them.

“It’s not about special status for Jharkhand and 27 per cent reservation anymore. We will keep raising the land acquisition issue. Displacement for mining is on right from 1952 which so far affected 1.5 lakh Jharkhand families. It is a matter of concern. I believe the BJP holds similar views. We need to sit together and form a common strategy to address people’s concerns,” Sudesh said.

He added Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha polls were fought on different lines.

“In Lok Sabha elections, the real question is who can give a strong leadership to the country. So my party is supporting Modi,” he said, adding for Assembly polls regional issues take centre stage. He refused to divulge if Ajsu would ally with the BJP in Assembly elections.