Jharkhand Assembly Elections 2024: BJP leaders, including 3 ex-MLAs, join JMM

Kunal Sarangi with Hemant Soren/ X

Several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) heavyweights, including three former Legislative Assembly (MLA) members, have joined the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) just weeks before the Jharkhand assembly elections 2024, reported PTI.

According to the PTI report, Lois Marandi, Kunal Sarangi, and Lakshman Tudu are three former MLAs who moved to JMM on Monday. This comes barely two days after three-term BJP MLA Kedar Hazra and AJSU Party leader Umakant Rajak both joined JMM.

Sarangi, a former BJP spokesperson and ex-MLA from Baharagora, confirmed the transition, adding, "We joined the JMM today."

Lois Marandi, who had previously beaten Chief Minister Hemant Soren in 2014, was welcomed to JMM by Soren via social media. He went on: "We heartily welcome respected Lois Marandi Ji to the JMM family."

Soren won the Dumka seat by 13,188 votes in 2019 but left it to run in the Barhait constituency. Basant Soren, Soren's brother, defeated Marandi in a by-election.

According to PTI sources, Marandi wrote to BJP state president Babulal Marandi, expressing her concerns over "neglect" and factionalism in the party. She mentioned that the BJP first won the Dumka seat in 2014, which was historically a JMM bastion.

Sarangi had earlier resigned from the BJP in July, citing a variety of organisational challenges as well as displeasure with the party's handling of his concerns. He expressed dismay that his efforts to raise significant problems were ignored.

"I resigned from the spokesman's post hoping that the party leadership would address the concerns I raised, but nothing has happened yet," Sarangi had told media then per the news agency report.

Lakshman Tudu had already defeated a JMM candidate in the Ghatshila constituency.

Other BJP members joining JMM include Ganesh Mahli, Basco Besra, and Bari Murmu of Seraikela.

The elections for the 81-member Jharkhand parliament will be held in two parts on November 13 and 20, with vote counting slated for November 23. Nominations for the 43 constituencies voting in the first phase began Monday, with three already submitted. Around 2.60 crore people are eligible to vote in Jharkhand Assembly Elections 2024.