Divided oppn no challenge to us in J'khand polls: BJP leader

Opposition parties in Jharkhand are a divided lot, busy fighting among themselves than posing any challenge to the BJP in the upcoming assembly polls, a senior saffron party leader said.

He also exuded confidence that the BJP will comfortably come back to power in Jharkhand, achieving the target of winning 65-plus seats in the 81-member assembly.

"Vipaksh khand-khand mein bata hua hai (the opposition is severely divided) and they are fighting among themseleves than posing any challenge to the BJP," state BJP co-incharge Nand Kishore Yadav told PTI on Tuesday.

Yadav said the JMM, Congress and RJD have formed an alliance while the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) -- which was part of the coalition in the Lok Sabha polls -- is contesting alone.

"Besides, there are many other fringe players who would harm each other more than us," Yadav, who is a minister in Bihar, said.

Asked if Bihar-centric parties like the JD(U), LJP and RJD -- the first two fighting separately -- would have an impact on the assembly polls, he said voters in the state will not be influenced by them.

The senior BJP leader said the development work done by the Narendra Modi government at the Centre and Raghubar Das in Jharkhand has won praise from people, and they want this dispensation to continue.

The Jharkhand assembly elections will be held in five phases between November 30 and December 20, and the counting of votes will take place on December 23.