Himanta Biswa Sarma mocks RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav over Jharkhand seat failure, says he has 'zero brand value'

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday took a jab at RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, claiming that Yadav has "no brand value" within the INDIA alliance. According to Sarma, Yadav failed to secure a significant number of seats for his party in the upcoming Jharkhand Assembly elections, despite visiting Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s residence three times to negotiate.

Sarma, who also serves as the BJP's election co-in charge for Jharkhand, further accused the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) of struggling to field candidates for the elections. His remarks come in the wake of several BJP leaders defecting to the JMM ahead of the polls.

"Tejashwi Yadav has no brand value. He is exposed in front of the people of Bihar. He went to Hemant Soren’s residence on three occasions to negotiate seat-sharing, but it was all in vain," Sarma alleged.

He expressed sympathy for Yadav’s difficulties in negotiating seat-sharing arrangements within the INDIA alliance in Jharkhand, stating that he felt "sad" about the challenges Yadav faces.

The Jharkhand Assembly elections will take place in two phases, on November 13 and 20, with votes being counted on November 23.

Commenting on the defections from the BJP to JMM, Sarma remarked that Soren's party "lacks candidates" and sarcastically offered that the BJP could send "8-10 more" leaders if needed.

Several prominent BJP figures, including former MLAs Lois Marandi, Kunal Sarangi, and Lakshman Tudu, along with three-time legislator Kedar Hazra, have recently joined the JMM, adding fuel to the pre-election political shifts in the state.