Babulal Marandi announces merger of JVM(P) and BJP on Feb. 17

The former Jharkhand Chief Minister said a formal merger ceremony will take place on February 17 at Jagannathpur maidan.

Jharkhand's former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi.

The Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik), led by Babulal Marandi, will merge with the BJP in Ranchi on February 17. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J.P. Nadda will attend the function to be held at Prabhat Tara Maidan.

“A meeting of the party’s central committee has unanimously approved the party’s merger with the BJP,” Mr. Marandi, the party’s president, told journalists in Ranchi on Tuesday.

Mr. Marandi has been the first tribal Chief Minister of Jharkhand after the State was created from Bihar in November 2000. But he left the BJP in 2006 and had floated the JVM(P).

Earlier, Mr. Marandi expelled MLAs Pradip Yadav and Bandhu Tirkey from the party for “anti-party activities”. Mr. Yadav recently met Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi. He is likely to join the Congress. “The expulsion of Pradip Yadav and Bandhu Turkey has also been approved by the central committee,” Mr. Marandi said. In the recent election to the 81-member Assembly, the JVM(P) won three seats, including one by Mr. Marandi .