Ranchi: The Urban Local Body ( ULB ) elections are being looked at as a dress rehearsal for next year’s Lok Sabha and assembly elections in the state, with all political parties trying to assess their mass base before polling on Monday.The National Democratic Alliance ( NDA ), which contested the 2014 assembly elections a pack a of three — BJP Ajsu Party and Lokjan Shakti Party — seems to have disintegrated ahead of the civic polls , while the opposition parties — JMM , Congress, RJD and Left outfits — have also decided to take on each other even though they contested the recent Rajya Sabha election in alliance.“BJPs alliance with other political parties is specific to the assembly elections and we will continue to maintain the coalition during assembly polls. But as far as other elections are concerned, we have not been together,” said BJP state unit spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo . He said the saffron party would grab most of the seats in ULB elections because of its performance in state and Centre . Shahdeo cited example of the 2014 parliamentary elections, in which Ajsu Party contested against the BJP on Ranchi seat, but stuck together in the state government.JMM has fielded candidates for 31 of the 34 seats of Mayor and chairmen, while Congress, RJD, BSP and Left parties have also fielded candidates on most seats. JMM decided to go solo on the pretext that their cadres would not have got an opportunity in the future elections. “The ULB election is one last option for our workers to be given an opportunity to try their ability and luck independently as we have decided to contest the assembly and parliamentary elections in alliance with Congress,” said JMM general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya JMM believes that the ULB poll results will give potential alliance partners an opportunity to weigh their prospects. “We should call it a mock test for matriculation examination, because based on the performance of the candidates in ULB polls, the parties will be in a better position to claim their stance on a particular seat,” he said.Three years after remaining in subjugated power, Ajsu Party is also testing its foothold in the state. A minister in chief minister Raghubar Das’s cabinet and party vice-president Chandra Prakash Choudhary is hopeful of victory in most of the seats where the party is contesting. “Based on the performance in this election, we will request our party president to reconsider pre-poll alliance with BJP as most of our cadres have been neglected,” said an Ajsu Party functionaries, unwilling to be quoted.

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