Both the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance and the United Progressive Alliance said on Sunday they will stake claim to form the government in Jharkhand.

A meeting of the BJP's Parliamentary Board, chaired by former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, decided that the party will stake claim in Jharkhand.

The party has deputed its former president M Venkaiah Naidu to oversee the formation of its government in the state.
Naidu will reach Ranchi on Monday morning and the BJP Legislature Party is expected to meet in the evening to elect its leader, BJP Vice-President and spokesman Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told PTI.

Meanwhile, Congress leader in charge of Jharkhand and Bihar Harikesh Bahadur said the UPA will stake its claim to form the government on Monday. "We are going to meet the governor tomorrow [Monday]," Bahadur told a press conference in Ranchi.

Bahadur said representatives from all secular parties would meet the governor to stake the claim. He said the ruling NDA had 'lost its popularity.