Open to induct JVM-P MLAs if Babulal joins BJP: Oraon

Ranchi: State Congress president Rameshwar Oraon on Wednesday said the party is willing to welcome JVM-P legislators in its fold if they are willing to come on board, provided “they are willing to agree to certain pre-conditions of the party”.
Speaking at the sidelines of a Dahi-Chuda feast hosted by the grand old party on the occasion of Makar Sankranti at its state headquarters here, the 72-year-old IPS-turned-politician said, “Our party always welcomes like-minded people with open arms.Therefore, if JVM-P legislators want to join, they are welcome, but they must agree to certain conditions.” When prodded about the conditions, Oraon, who is a minister in Hemant Soren’s cabinet, did not divulge anything.
Notably, JVM-P insiders said Poriyahat MLA Pradeep Yadav and Mandar MLA Bandhu Tirkey are in touch with several opposition parties since speculations surfaced that party chief Babulal Marandi is contemplating merging the outfit with BJP. While Marandi has been tight-lipped about the issue, BJP sources said that he is in touch with its national vice-president Om Prakash Mathur. The BJP sources added that Marandi has been offered the post of leader of opposition in Jharkhand assembly if he comes on board.
Tirkey is in touch with Oraon for a possible switch since speculations began earlier this month. Yadav, who claimed he will not join BJP, had met Soren prior to the state assembly polls and sought to contest from Poriyahat on a JMM ticket after he was isolated within JVM-P after being released from jail on bail in a sexual assault case lodged against him in Deoghar in April last year. Yadav was eventually fielded by JVM-P. When contacted, Tirkey declined to comment. “I will speak at the right time,” he told TOI.
JVM-P insiders are waiting for Marandi to return from his overseas trip on Thursday. Marandi, the first chief minister of Jharkhand, had left BJP in 2006 following differences with the state leadership and floated JVM-P.
JVM-P made its electoral debut in 2009 assembly polls and won 11 seats in coalition with Congress. Over the next decade, Marandi and his party’s popularity waned as it won eight seats in 2014 state assembly polls and three in last year’s assembly election. “Realising that his popularity is waning, Babulal Ji has begun thinking of his political future and may be looking for a win-win situation thinking the BJP will project him as its CM face in the 2024 state assembly election,” a JVM-P functionary close to Marandi said on Wednesday.