Janata Dal (United) legislator and former Jharkhand unit president of the party Gopal Krishna Patar has formally relinquished it to join the BJP. The Tamar MlA, popularly known as Raja Peter, would be inducted along with his supporters into the saffron fold on August 10, well ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls expected anytime in November.
The Pioneer had reported in this regard way back on April 26, 2014 and his induction into the BJP was being considered just a matter of time.
Raja Peter after making “consultation” with his supporters, district president and leaders on Friday announced about this. “The talks were on for long with the BJP and I decided to make a final consultation with my supporters as I had organised the first working committee meeting of the JD-U in a similar fashion. I thought it would maintain the respect of the district level workers. All have unanimously seconded my joining the BJP,” said the leader.
The leaders, on the occasion, also counted the reasons behind his jettisoning the JD (U). “I was feeling uncomfortable there. The State-level leaders were acting in autocratic manner and national leadership hardly bothered about all this. I had offers from other parties like AJSU but decided to join the BJP. I think national party is a demand of the hour for Jharkhand which needs a stable Government badly,” said Raja Peter. He is the sixth sitting legislator of the Assembly to join the BJP following the spectacular performance the party has had in the lok Sabha polls in the State.
The decision has come as a jolt for the JD (U) as Peter is considered a popular leader in his constituency. It is when the party is also not sure about its future course of action in Jharkhand following its new bonhomie with earlier bête noire RJD in Bihar. “What would I say on thisIJ I do not think it would affect us at all,” said present JD (U) president in Jharkhand Jaleshwar Mahto.
Mahto’s sore relations with Raja Peter is well known and his appointment as party State chief after replacing the MlA is considered one of the main reasons behind the breakaway.
Peter has received a tag of a ‘giant killer’ after despite considered as a political novice he had defeated JMM supremo and then Chief Minister Disom Guru Shibu Soren in January 2009 as Jharkhand Party nominee.
Soren was fighting Assembly bypolls from Tamar constituency to safeguard his Chief Ministership and had to resign after the defeat from the post. Raja Peter repeated his success as a JD (U) candidate in regular Assembly polls held by the end of 2009 and remained Minister in the Arjun Munda Government.