Ranchi: Manas Sinha, the Congress working president in Jharkhand, resigned from the party and joined the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday after being denied a ticket ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. Sinha was welcomed into the BJP by Ravindra Ray, the party's working president in Jharkhand, alongside Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Sinha expressed his disillusionment with Congress, stating he dedicated 27 years to the party but felt it no longer respected its workers. "I am joining the BJP inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he declared.
Sarma noted his own 22-year tenure with Congress and emphasised their shared goals to secure BJP's victory. Sinha sought a ticket for the Bhawnathpur seat in Garhwa district, a Congress stronghold, but it was assigned to the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) due to a seat-sharing agreement within the ruling Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance. The upcoming assembly elections, covering 81 seats, will occur in two phases on November 13 and 20. The ruling coalition won 47 seats in the previous election. The BJP aims to build on its recent successes in Haryana and Lok Sabha elections in Jharkhand.
