Ranchi: It is not just in Bengal, but in Jharkhand also, several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders are leaving saffron camp, however, it may not become a piece of news for national media.
On Thursday, thirteen BJP ward councilors which include nine ward councilors of Giridih Municipal Corporation joined ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) in the presence of chief minister Hemant Soren at Ranchi.
Giridih’s JMM MLA Sudivya Kumar who played the key role in bringing these councilors into the party fold said that the husbands of some female councilors too joined JMM.
Besides the councilors, others who left BJP were office-bearers of the party’s district unit.
The municipal corporation had come into the news, when its Mayor Sunil Paswan had to resign, as he had used an illegal caste certificate to fight election from a seat reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates. Paswan, a resident of Bihar, was not eligible to contest on reserved seat in Jharkhand.
The corporation has a total of thirty-six councillors, one among them has passed away. JMM had earlier fifteen out of thirty-five councillors.
“Now with this additional nine, we have a total of twenty-four councillors,” informed Sanjay Singh, district president, JMM.
The development is significant as BJP which is known as a party having a stronghold among urban voters. It has been in Giridih too, as both mayor and its deputy were of BJP. And even after the resignation of Paswan, the deputy mayor, who is also from BJP, is now in-charge of the mayor.
While JMM, which has a stronghold in the rural belt, always strives to penetrate among urban voters. The turn-up of the councillors, who play the main role on the ground, can multiply the party’s prospect in the future.
“The new joinees have expressed their faith in the ideology and leadership of Hemant Soren. So we hope it will strengthen party further,” claimed Sudivya Sonu.
Giridih’s municipal polls are due next year.
