The BJP will contest the upcoming assembly polls in Jharkhand in alliance with NDA partners AJSU Party and Janata Dal (United), Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Saturday. Sarma, who is the BJP’s Jharkhand election co-charge, said that the seat-sharing agreement with the allies is in the final stage.

“The BJP will contest the Jharkhand elections in alliance with AJSU Party and JD(U). The seat-sharing agreement with the allies has been done on 99 per cent of the seats. Discussions are underway for the remaining one or two seats and it will be finalised soon,” he said while speaking to reporters in Ranchi.

Sarma said that a formal announcement in this regard will be made after ‘Pitri Paksha’, which ends on October 2. Elections to the 81-member assembly in Jharkhand are due later this year.

On Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s letter to Union Health Minister JP Nadda seeking assistance for a detailed investigation into the death of aspirants who had appeared for physical tests as part of a recruitment drive to appoint excise personnel, Sarma said the probe should be done by the state government.

“As the deaths took place in Jharkhand, the first responsibility of investigation lies with the state government. If the chief minister thinks an extensive investigation is required, he should write to the Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court for a judicial probe. We will welcome this,” Sarma said.

Fifteen aspirants reportedly lost their lives while undertaking physical tests during the recent drive. The BJP has been attacking Soren’s government over the deaths, alleging they were victims of the administration’s mismanagement.

Expressing concern over alleged infiltration into Jharkhand, Sarma said that “infiltrators have hijacked” the state.