The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on March 20 suffered a major setback in Jharkhand as BJP MLA from Mandu seat Jai Prakash Bhai Patel joined the Indian National Congress (INC) ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
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In the presence of AICC in-charge of Jharkhand Alam Gir Alam, Jharkhand Congress chief Rajesh Thakur, Jharkhand Minister Alamgir Alam and party’s media and publicity department head Pawan Khera, Mr. Patel said that BJP’s ideologies didn’t align with his father Tek Lal Mahto’s.
Praising Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Nyay Jodo Yatra, he expressed confidence that the INDIA alliance will win all the 14 seats in the Jharkhand Lok Sabha elections. He added that he didn’t join the party under any pressure but for the better future of Jharkhand, to complete his father’s dreams and to strengthen the INDIA alliance in the country.
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“I don’t care about my post, I want to save Jharkhand,” he said. Mr. Patel is an MLA from the Mandu Assembly constituency that falls under the Hazaribagh Lok Sabha segment. Earlier he had been an MLA of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). Just before the election in 2019, Mr. Patel switched sides from JMM to contest on a BJP ticket.
Mr. Patel could be fielded by the Congress from the Hazaribagh Lok Sabha constituency in the upcoming polls.
Mr. Mir said this joining was an indication of the things to come and claimed that many leaders from various parties in Jharkhand and West Bengal were in touch with the Congress for crossing over.
He said some want to join as it is election season but many have been impressed by the party’s ideology and the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo yatras.
(With PTI inputs)