Ahead of the Jharkhand Assembly elections, three former BJP MLAs joined the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Saturday. Louis Marandi, Kunal Sarangi and Laxman Tudu join JMM. The development comes two days after three-time BJP MLA Kedar Hazra and AJSU party leader Umakant Rajak joined the JMM. “We have joined the JMM today,” said Sarangi, a former BJP spokesperson and former Baharagora MLA. In 2014, former BJP MP Louis Marandi won with 5,262 votes by a margin that defeated Chief Minister Hemant Soren from Dumka.
Soon after Lewis joined the JMM, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren welcomed him to the party. Soren wrote on
In 2019, Soren won the Dumka seat with a margin of 13,188 votes. However, he vacated the seat and retained the Bakht constituency. His brother Basant Soren defeated Marandi by more than 6,842 votes in the by-election in Dumka, the party’s stronghold.
References to growing neglect and factionalism within the party
Sources said Louis Marandi, in his letter to state BJP president Babulal Marandi, mentioned that dedicated workers like him were being “neglected” and that factionalism within the party Increasingly. He narrated how the BJP won for the first time after independence in 2014 in Dumka, considered a JMM stronghold. Sarangi resigned as a key member of the party in July, about a month and a half after resigning as Jharkhand unit spokesperson. He sent his resignation letter to Babulal Marandi, president of the Jharkhand unit of the BJP, citing various organizational and people-oriented issues in the East Simbhum district.
Sarangi also expressed disappointment at the “indifference” of the party leadership despite efforts to highlight important issues. “I resigned as spokesperson in the hope that the party leadership would address my concerns, but no progress has been made so far,” he said. In 2014, Laxman Tudu defeated JMM’s Ghatshila constituency by a margin of 6,403 votes Ramdas Soren. Others who joined the JMM today include Seraikela BJP leaders Ganesh Mahali, Basco Besra and Bari Murmu.
Three-time BJP MP Kedar Hazra and AJSU leader Umakant Rajak joined the JMM on October 18. Polling for the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly will be held in two phases on November 13 and November 20, with counting of votes taking place on November 23.
