Jharkhand poll: BJP, JMM seek advantage from Liberhan report

Ranchi, Nov 24 : Political parties like the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) are trying to use the Liberhan Commission report, tabled in parliament Tuesday, to their advantage in the five-phase poll to the Jharkhand assembly, beginning Wednesday.

"It (the Liberhan report) will go in favour of the BJP. It was low-level politics to leak the report. What kind of government is functioning at the centre? Their (Congress) vote is already consolidated and it will work to consolidate votes of other sections of society in favour of the BJP," party leader Yashwant Sinha told IANS.

BJP president Rajnath Singh Monday charged the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government led by the Congress, with selectively leaking the report to polarise votes in Jharkhand.

The JMM also feels that the report will impact the election. "There will be large impact in the assembly election. The Muslim community should vote in favour of regional parties for their welfare," party general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya told IANS.

However, the Congress is not sure of the report's impact on voters in Jharkhand.

"How can we judge the impact of report on the voters' minds. It is a mystery as to how the report was leaked. The Congress has no role in it. The Congress never intended to leak the report in the light of the assembly poll," the party's state general secretary Shailesh Sinha said.

In the first phase, 26 of the total 81 assembly seats will go to polls Wednesday.