Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) legislator from Mandar, Bandhu Tirkey has opposed the merger of his party with BJP claiming that it will be a big setback for the party. As the news of Babulal Marandi merging his party JVM with BJP is gaining momentum, the party legislators are anxious, said Tirkey.
Tirkey said, “For past few days we have been hearing that Babulal Marandi jee is planning to merge his party with BJP. I don’t think that there is any truth, but if such development occurs it will setback for party and party legislators.”
Tirkey further said, “My politics revolves around opposing BJP and I will never join BJP at any cost.”
Tirkey, who was granted bail days before Assembly election, had contested and won election from Mandar (ST) seat. On November 25, the Jharkhand High Court granted bail to former Minister and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) candidate, Bandhu Tirkey, accused in the 34th National Games scam and two cases related to Pathalgadi in Khunti.
Tirkey, the three-time legislator from Mandar had won the election in 2005 and 2009 but in 2014 lost to BJP’s Gangotri Kujur.
Sources said that as Bandhu gets support from Christian and Muslim apart from tribals who play a deciding role in his election victory joining hands with BJP will be suicidal for him.
Also Bandhu blames that BJP and former Chief Minister Raghubar Das after he was arrested in national games. On September last year, state’s anti-corruption bureau (ACB) arrested senior JVM (P) leader and former sports minister Bandhu Tirkey in connection with its ongoing probe into the multi-crore games equipment purchase scam in the run-up to 34th National Games held in Ranchi in 2011.
It was alleged that Tirkey, the then sports ministers, had granted final approvals to all murky deals related to purchase of equipment and other logistics for the games that caused a loss of Rs 28.34 crore to the exchequer.
Sources said that as Tirkey has openly opposed the merger of JVM with BJP it will not be an easy task for Babulal Marandi to merge his party as per anti-defection law.
Sources said that Marandi may have to convince one of his two other legislators to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with him or give away his membership of House if at all he makes a return to the saffron party, legal experts says.
“As per the 10th schedule of the Constitution, a legislator alone cannot join another party. At least 2/3rd majority of the total number of MLAs of a particular party have to merge with the other party in order to avoid legal complications,” said Sanjay Kumar Vidrohi, senior lawyer and elected member of the Jharkhand State Bar Council (JSBC).