Former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi’s Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) received another jolt with its three senior leaders, Yogendra Pratap Singh, KK Poddar and Munna Mallick joining the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday. While, Singh was party’s central spokesperson, K K Poddar was party’s treasurer; Munna Malick was holding the post of JVM minority cell president.
These leaders, along with large number of supporters, joined the party in presence of State BJP president Laxman Gilua. Apart from these senior leaders joining the party, large number of Sikh community members from Koylanchal region too took the membership of BJP.
Welcoming the new members in party fold, BJP State unit president Laxman Gilua said, “With Yogendra Pratap, KK Poddar and others joining BJP, the party will gain strength. As the BJP believes in Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas and Sabka Viswas, members from different communities, region joined the BJP.”
Meanwhile, Singh termed his joining to BJP as home coming. He said, “For me it is Ghar Wapsi as I had learned the politics of ABC from BJP.” Singh, who had unsuccessfully contested the last Assembly election from Barhi as JVM candidate also gave the reasons behind joining the party. Singh said, “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Raghubar Das the county and State is witnessing development in all spheres. The Opposition in State is redundant and baseless. The Opposition strategies only revolve around negativity.” He further said, “The JVM has turned out to be one man show with the party neither having vision nor any policies.”
Yogendra comes from political family as his father Ramlakhan Singh had represented Barhi as MLA as a Left party candidate during nineties. The joining of Yogendra to BJP fold assumes importance as Marandi’s party is witnessing switching over of leaders to BJP.
Last week, senior JVM leader Laxman Swarnkar joined BJP in presence of Gilua and other senior members. Swarnkar who had represented Gandey in Assembly in 1977 and 1995, too had started his political innings as RSS member. Swarnkar had remained with JVM for around four years.
After the BJP’s thumping victory in Lok Sabha election there has been rush in Opposition camp to join BJP. Last week JMM top legal brain and JMM chief Shibu Soren’s close confidante Ravi Shankar Mazumdar joined the BJP in presence of BJP national working president JP Nadda. Sources said that Mazumdar, had never been JMM member but he was considered as one the legal brains working for both Shibu Soren and Hemant Soren. He was appointed as State Advocate general twice first in 2010 when Guruji was Chief Minister and second time in 2013 when Hemant was Chief Minister.
