Former Chief Minister Arjun Munda said on Monday that Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) (JVM) will merge with the BJP on August 20, a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Ranchi.
“A proposal in this regard has come from JVM, which will formally merge with BJP. I think it is a crucial development as this will pave way for united and strong Government in the State,” Munda said at a function here after another party Jharkhand Disom Party (JDP) merged with BJP.
Munda, however, refused to divulge details of the merger when asked whether JVM supremo-cum-former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi would return to BJP. It may be mentioned here that JVM senior leader Dulal Bhuiyan joined the BJP at a function in Ranchi on August 10. Four JVM MlAs, including Samresh Singh, Jai Prakash Bhokta, Chandrika Mahtha and Nirbhay Kumar Shahabadi have already joined the BJP.
Meanwhile, the two-time MP from Mayurbhanj, Odisha and the president of Jharkhand Disom Party (JDP), Salkhan Murmu merged his tribal outfit with the BJP and joined the saffron party at a function organised at Sakchi.
Murmu joined the party along with his supporters from five different states, including Assam, Bihar, and Bengal. Several other senior leaders of the party comprising Saryu Roy, Dineshanand Goswami and Menaka Sardar were also present at the function.
Murmu said that he is happy to return to his roots and will devote his rest of the life to spread party's message. He said that he had recently met Union Petroleum Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, who is also the election in-charge of BJP in Jharkhand, and former CM Arjun Munda and decided to merge his party into BJP for greater benefit of the people of Jharkhand.
"I believe in the strong leadership of Narendra Modi and I am confident that his vision will pave the way for better governance in the country. We will work to ensure that a BJP-led Government is formed in Jharkhand too to ensure progress,” noted Murmu.
Murmu, who was earlier with the BJP, snapped ties with it in mid-2000. He floated JDP to advocate the cause of the tribals. However, the JDP failed to connect with the voters. Murmu, who first became MP in 1998 under the banner of BJP, has always been advocating the cause of the tribals. He had lost the Jamshedpur by poll in August 2007 as a candidate of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
later, Munda also inaugurated party's election office of Jamshedpur West Assembly seat in Bistupur. He also asked people to participate in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's programme in Ranchi on August 21.