Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Jharkhand's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Jai Prakash Bhai Patel officially joined the Congress on Wednesday. After switching sides, he also pledged to bolster the I.N.D.I.A bloc. Patel's induction into the Congress took place at the party's headquarters in the presence of key figures including AICC's Jharkhand in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Jharkhand Congress chief Rajesh Thakur, Jharkhand minister Alamgir Alam, and the party's media and publicity department head, Pawan Khera.
'Want to fulfill dreams of my father': Patel
Patel, representing the Mandu assembly constituency under the Hazaribagh Lok Sabha segment, had previously served as an MLA for the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). Patel said he wants to fulfil the dreams his father Tek Lal Mahto, a former MP, had for Jharkhand. He said he was unable to find his father's ideology in the NDA and has now vowed to work to strengthen the I.N.D.I.A bloc in the state. "I have joined the Congress not for any greed or post but for ideology and to fulfil the dreams of my father had for the state," Patel added.
Patel likely to contest Lok Sabha polls from Hazaribagh
According to reports, Patel could be fielded by the Congress from the Hazaribagh Lok Sabha constituency in the upcoming polls. 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.
Another BJP leader likely to join Congress
According to sources, another BJP leader and former Madhupur MLA Raj Paliwal is also likely to switch sides and join the Congress. He is expected to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Godda seat against sitting MP and senior BJP leader Nishikant Dubey.
Sita Soren joins BJP
Earlier on Tuesday, Sita Soren, three-term MLA and sister-in-law of former Chief Minister Hemant Soren, quit the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and joined the BJP. She tendered her resignation from the JMM, claiming that she was being neglected and isolated. In her resignation letter addressed to the JMM chief and her father-in-law, Shibu Soren, Sita stated that following the demise of her husband, the party failed to provide adequate support to her and her family.
(With inputs from agencies)
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