New Delhi, Nov 06: Janata Dal (United), a constituent of NDA, today said it would contest independently the coming assembly polls in five states as it released a partial list of candidates for Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram. Apparently annoyed with BJP, JD(U) parliamentary board chairman Sharad Yadav told a press conference here that the two parties had had no discussions on a pre-poll tie-up "although it would have been good to contest as NDA".
"As BJP is the bigger party, it should have taken the initiative for talks on pre-poll alliance. We are a small party and smaller parties do not take such initiatives," he said.
He refused to spell out what his party would do if BJP offered pre-poll alliance, saying a decision would be taken if any such thing happened.
Janata Dal has been contesting independently, Yadav asserted and said his party would register a "strong presence" in at least Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
JD(U) will contest 20 seats in Rajasthan, 30 in Madhya Pradesh and between 10 to 15 each in Chhattisgarh and Delhi, he said.
Releasing the list of nine candidates for Rajasthan, 10 for Madhya Pradesh and 29 for Mizoram, he said rest of the nominees would be named on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the party received a shot in the arm ahead of polls with NCP's MP state president Capt Jaipal Singh, its Chhattisgarh president Laxmi Narain Induria and national secretary of NCP youth wing Sachidanand Singh Kushwaha joining the JD(U). Bureau Report