The plot of former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi’s party Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) merger with BJP is final and it will be executed soon. Sources said that after the end of Delhi Assembly election senior leaders from both the parties will announce the merger.
Sources said that to make the merger of JVM with BJP a grand affair, senior leaders from both the parties have decided to hold a mega function most probably at Prabhat Tara ground and will be attended by senior BJP leaders including OP Mathur, former chief minister Raghubar Das apart from Marandi himself.
Giving pace to merger talks of two parties, JVM chief Babulal Marandi on Tuesday left for Delhi from Ranchi via Kolkatta. Sources said that in Delhi he will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. A senior BJP leader requesting anonymity said, “The entire plot of merger of two parties is being looked by OP Mathur. The entire plot is executed in such a way that there is no technical problem in merger of two parties.”
Sources said that as it is win-win situation for both the parties, Marandi first tried to convince its two MLAs Bandhu Tirkey and Pradeep Yadav to join BJP, but when his legislators refused to join BJP, two parties decided to go ahead with their plans leaving Tirkey and Yadav.
Tirkey was expelled from party for anti-party activities as he was alleged to support Congress candidate Ajay Nath Shahdeo contesting from Hatia in Assembly election. Later, another MLA Pradeep Yadav who was made the JVM party leader in House was removed from post; however, both the leaders have challenged their expulsion.
Sources said that Marandi is taking time for merger of his party with JVM as he did not want technical glitches in the merger. Sources said that Marandi is very much interested to join BJP after he came to know that two of these MLAs (Yadav and Tirkey) were planning to join Congress. Both Yadav and Tirkey have openly opposed the merger of JVM with BJP.
Sources said that it will be win-win situation for both BJP and Marandi, as after the Assembly election debacle, BJP has been looking for a tribal face in Jharkhand with an appeal in Santhal region. Sources said that for Marandi too it will be rehabilitation for him as despite all efforts his party managed to win only three seats.