“An effort is being made to form a government in Jharkhand with the help of BJP and it will not be good for our party. The BJP should not do it because it does not have the mandate. This will hamper the progress of the party. I hope my party’s senior leaders ponder over it,” Rudy told a conference of the ABVP, the student wing of the BJP, at Sodepur in North 24 Parganas on Saturday.

BJP West Bengal president Rahul Sinha seemed embarrassed when Rudy said: “Rahulji, aap mere saath sahmat honge (Rahul, you will agree with me).”

Sinha later said: “I am concerned only with my state, not other states. What the BJP should do in Jharkhand is the business of the party’s central and state leaders, not mine.”