Manas Sinha joins BJP. Screengrab of video.
Credit: X/@ANI
Ranchi: Former Jharkhand Congress working President Manash Sinha on Monday joined BJP ahead of the assembly polls.
He was welcomed into the saffron party by Jharkhand BJP working President Ravindra Rai and Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is also BJP's state election co-incharge, during a ceremony at the party's headquarters.
"I have served the Congress party and held different posts for the past 27 years. But there is no respect left for dedicated workers in the party. So, I decided to join the BJP," Sinha said after joining the saffron camp.
Sinha said he resigned from all posts of the Congress party.
The Assam chief minister alleged that there is no importance to the workers in the Congress, who dedicated their lives for the party.
He said Sinha's experience would be utilised at the state level to strengthen the party and win elections.
Sarma alleged that poll tickets in the Congress party are given on three parameters--first offer funds to the party, second be associated with reputed families of MLA, MP or minister and third abuse Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
On a question of JMM's demand for the removal of Jharkhand Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Sarma said that this might be the first time when a ruling party is demanding for an officer's removal.
"The officer has been appointed by the ruling government. Now, it is demanding his removal. Actually, they wanted the officer to help them politically, but it is not happening," Sarma said.
The ruling JMM in Jharkhand wrote to the Election Commission on Sunday and demanded the removal of Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar and two senior IPS officers, alleging that they were working in favour of the BJP.
Elections to the 81-member Jharkhand assembly are scheduled on November 13 and November 20. The votes will be counted on November 23.
Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.
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