New Delhi/Ranchi: Amid brewing discontent over ticket distribution in Jharkhand, several BJP leaders, including an incumbent legislator and three former MLAs, switched sides and joined the ruling JMM weeks ahead of the impending state Assembly polls. The BJP, however, dismissed any major discontentment or fissures within the party, maintaining that some resentment after the release of the candidates' list for the elections is natural.
The former legislators who switched sides late on Monday are Lois Marandi, Kunal Sarangi and Lakshman Tudu. The development comes days after three-term BJP legislator Kedar Hazra and AJSU leader Umakant Rajak joined the JMM.
"We joined the JMM today," Mr Sarangi, the BJP's former spokesperson and ex-Baharagora MLA, said.
Mr Sarangi had in July resigned from the party's primary membership, around a month-and-a-half after stepping down from the post of Jharkhand unit spokesperson.
Mr Sarangi sent his resignation letter to the BJP Jharkhand unit president, citing various organisational issues in East Singhbhum district. He had also expressed disappointment with the party leadership's indifferent approach, despite his efforts to highlight crucial issues.
Ms Marandi, a former BJP legislator who had in 2014 defeated chief minister Hemant Soren by a margin of 5,262 votes from Dumka, was welcomed to the party by the JMM working president soon after she embraced JMM.
"We heartily welcome former BJP vice-president and senior leader respected Lois Marandi Ji to the JMM family," Mr Soren posted on X.
Sources said Ms Marandi, in a letter to BJP state president Babulal Marandi, has drawn his attention to the "neglect" of committed workers like her and rising factionalism in the party. She also mentioned how the BJP for the first time won Dumka, considered a JMM bastion, in 2014 since Independence.
Mr Tudu in 2014 had defeated JMM's Ramdas Soren from Ghatshila constituency by a margin of 6,403 votes. Others who came to JMM-fold include BJP leaders from Seraikela are Ganesh Mahli, Basco Besra and Bari Murmu.
Three-term BJP legislator Mr Hazra and AJSU's Mr Rajak joined the JMM on October 18.
"We are pained. If you see the list, the party has reposed faith in those who joined the BJP from other parties, ignoring its own dedicated workers. Of the 66 candidates declared so far, more than half are those who came from other parties," a BJP leader said on condition of anonymity.
Dismissing the charges of turncoats, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is the co-incharge for the Jharkhand Assembly polls, said that there are no fissures or discontentment within the party. He said some resentment after the release of the candidates' list is natural as the BJP is a big political party.
On the BJP leaders joining the JMM, Mr Sarma said that Mr Soren's party “did not have candidates and if they require, the BJP can send 8-10 more". He though said that he will meet the disgruntled leaders.
Prominent among the turncoats who got a BJP nomination are former CM Champai Soren, his son Babulal Soren, Lobin Hembrom, Ganga Narayan, Manju Devi, Geeta Kora, Sita Soren and Ramchandra Chandravanshi, among others.
Elections to the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly will be held in two phases -- November 13 and November 20. The counting of votes is scheduled for November 23.
