Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
New Delhi, Six Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) MLAs today joined the BJP, a day after petitioning the Speaker to allow them to sit alongside ruling BJP-led coalition members in the state Assembly.
“Naveen Jaiswal (Hatia), Amar Kumar Bauri (Chandankiyari), Ganesh Ganju (Simeria), Alok Kumar Chourasia (Daltonganj), Ranjit Singh (Sarath) and Janki Yadav (Barkatha) joined the party at Jharkhand Bhavan in Delhi today,” BJP’s state unit spokesman Pradip Sinha said.The JVM(P) MLAs joined the BJP at Jharkhand Bhavan here in presence of Das and other BJP leaders. Earlier, BJP had 37 MLAs of its own, and it had formed the government in the state with the help of MLAs from Sudesh Mahto’s AJSU.Now, the alliance has 48 MLAs and is much more comfortably placed in the 81-member Assembly.Replying to a question as to why the BJP was trying to break other parties, Das said, “I am not interested in breaking but connecting others. Those who want to support the BJP government in carrying out the development of the state are welcome.”The six MLAs had yesterday requested the Speaker to allot them separate seats along side ruling party members. JVM president and former Jharkhand Chief Minister Babulal Marandi had accused the BJP of trying to poach MLAs from his party and the Congress, a charge denied by the saffron party.The former CM had on Monday suspended Jaiswal, Bauri, Chourasia and Ganju for “anti-party activities”. Marandi, who had led the first BJP-led NDA government, left the saffron party and floated JVM a few years ago. — PTI
