Ahead of the panchayat elections, two former key leaders of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) Odisha unit joined the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) here on Monday.
Along with many JMM workers and leaders, Mahesh Chandra Hembram, former State president of JMM, and Ramchandra Murmu, former vice-president of JMM State unit, joined the BJD in the presence of top BJD leaders, including party organisation secretary Pranab Prakash Das at the BJD office. Revenue Minister Sudam Marndi, Chandbali MLA Byomakesh Ray and Debasish Marndi were among the BJD leaders present
Mahesh Hembram was the JMM candidate in the 2009 and 2014 Assembly elections from the Jashipur seat. In the 2019 polls, he had contested from the Saraskana constituency. On August 24 this year, he had resigned from the party.
Ramachandra Murmu had fought the 2019 elections on a JMM ticket from the Rairangpur Assembly constituency.