Ranchi, Mar 20: External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha on Saturday said the BJP had valid grounds for contesting all the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Jharkhand as it was in a strong position in the state.
"Our claim for all the 14 seats is valid. The BJP is in a position to sweep all the constituencies," Sinha, the party's campaigning committee chief, said.

The senior BJP leader said his party had strong reasons to contest all the seats in Jharkhand as it had won 11 and finished second in two while finishing a close third in another in the earlier poll.

Regarding BJP's differences with NDA partner JD(U) who had been insisting on Koderma and Chatra seats, Sinha said the final outcome about seat sharing with JD(U) would emerge in the next two-three days. He however asserted there was no crisis with the ruling coalition partner.

JD(U) state president Gautam Sagar Rana said he was hopeful of an amicable solution by Monday.

Meanwhile JD(U) state leader and Excise Minister, Baidyanath Ram, on Saturday dubbed as 'double standard' the state unit's decision to remain in the NDA and still fight the BJP in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls in Jharkhand.

"I don't understand how we seek votes in the name of Atal Bihari Vajpayee while fighting against the BJP which is our ally in the state too," Ram told reporters here. Bureau Report