A faction of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) which is opposed to party chief Babulal Marandi’s decision of merging the party with BJP on Sunday called a meeting at party MLA Bandhu Tirkey’s residence and announced to merge the party with Congress. The group consists of two legislators, Bandhu Tirkey MLA from Mandar and leader of the legislative party and Poreyahat MLA Pradeep Yadav.
With Yadav and Bandhu Tirkey announcing to merge the party, the ball is in the Speaker’s court as which fraction he will authorised as official group merging with BJP or Congress. JVM chief Babulal Marandi has already announced the merger of the party with BJP on Monday.
Tirkey talking to mediapersons after holding a meeting with party leaders said, “I will soon meet the Congress high command and announce the date of merger.”
Pradeep Yadav announcing the merger with Congress said, “We both MLAs tried to convince Babulal Marandi not to merge the party as it will go against the ethics of party. But he was adamant.”
Sources said two-thirds of the total number of MLAs is necessary for any party’s MLAs to join the other party. In such a situation, Bandhu Tirkey and Pradeep Yadav are looking strong as JVM has three MLAs including Babulal. Sources said that with Tirkey and Yadav joining Congress the strength of Congress legislators in Assembly will go up to 18. Both Tirkey and Yadav on January had met Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi and senior leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi. Sources said that the merger of JVM fraction with Congress will be held in State Capital in which senior Congress leaders will attend the function.
Meanwhile, differences have cropped up in Congress camp over the joining of Pradeep Yadav in Congress. Congress MLA from Jamtara, Irfan Ansari was to tender his resignation from post of party working presidents, but he differed his decision at last hour. Ansari talking to media person said, “The day Pradeep Yadav joins Congress, I will tender my resignation from party.”
Ansari, the two-time Congress MLA from Jamtara in Santhal Pargana, had even knocked the door of Congress senior leader Rahul Gandhi expressing his discomfort over induction of Yadav in Congress. Ansari said, “Pradeep Yadav has an RSS background and his entire political career has revolved around criticizing Congress and he is anti-Muslim. He is one of the few leaders in Jharkhand who can never be trusted.”
Ansari also claimed that Yadav is rape accused and his induction in Congress will create a bad impression for Congress party. Months before the last year general election, a worker of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) had filed a rape complaint against then JVM general secretary and five-term MLA Pradeep Yadav. Yadav at that time was Grand Alliance candidate from Godda the seat which Ansari family had claimed as their traditional seat.