Several BJP leaders join JMM ahead of Jharkhand assembly polls

Ranchi: In a significant political development ahead of the upcoming Jharkhand assembly elections, several BJP leaders, including three former MLAs, have switched allegiance to the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). The ex-legislators Lois Marandi, Kunal Sarangi, and Lakshman Tudu officially joined the JMM on Monday, weeks before the state goes to the polls. This follows the defection of three-term BJP legislator Kedar Hazra and AJSU Party leader Umakant Rajak, who joined the JMM two days earlier.

Kunal Sarangi, a former BJP spokesperson and ex-MLA from Baharagora, confirmed the move, saying, "We joined the JMM today." Lois Marandi, a former BJP MLA, notably defeated Chief Minister Hemant Soren in the Dumka constituency in 2014 by a margin of 5,262 votes. After Marandi's entry into the JMM, CM Soren welcomed her, tweeting, "We heartily welcome former BJP Vice President and senior leader respected Lois Marandi Ji to the JMM family."

In 2019, Soren reclaimed the Dumka seat by defeating Marandi with a margin of 13,188 votes, before vacating it to retain Barhait. His brother, Basant Soren, later won the Dumka seat in a bypoll, defeating Marandi by 6,842 votes. Sources revealed that Lois Marandi, in a letter to BJP state president Babulal Marandi, expressed dissatisfaction with the party’s neglect of dedicated workers like herself and rising factionalism within the BJP.

Kunal Sarangi resigned from BJP’s primary membership in July, about a month after stepping down as the spokesperson for the Jharkhand unit, citing organizational and constituency-level concerns. He had previously voiced disappointment with the party leadership’s lack of response to his efforts to address key issues in East Singhbhum district.

Lakshman Tudu, another former BJP MLA, had defeated JMM’s Ramdas Soren in the Ghatshila constituency in 2014 by a margin of 6,403 votes. Alongside Sarangi and Tudu, BJP leaders from Seraikela, including Ganesh Mahli, Basco Besra, and Bari Murmu, also joined the JMM.

Meanwhile, the Congress party, which is in alliance with the JMM in the state, released its first list of 21 candidates on Monday. Finance Minister Rameshwar Oraon will contest from the Lohardaga seat, reserved for Scheduled Tribes, while senior Congress leader Ajoy Kumar, a former police officer and Lok Sabha MP, will stand for election in Jamshedpur East.

The Jharkhand polls mark a critical moment for both the BJP and the JMM-Congress alliance, with new alignments shaping the state’s political landscape just weeks before the elections. Jharkhand is preparing for its two-phase assembly elections on November 13 and November 20. The counting of votes will take place on November 23. Nominations for the first phase opened on Monday, with three submissions so far. Over 2.60 crore voters are eligible to participate in the elections for the 81-member assembly.