Former Jharkhand CM Babulal Marandi accuses BJP of 'poaching' MLAs

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Babulal Marandi on Tuesday accused the ruling BJP of trying to poach MLAs from his Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik-JVM) and Congress.

"The BJP's attempt of trading MLAs from JVM and Congress reflects its actions contrary to what it has been saying, and we (JVM) will face it firmly," Marandi said, a day after JVM suspended four of its MLAs.
BJP's defeat in Delhi Assembly elections also reflected its "wrong actions", he claimed.

Reacting to the charge, BJP state unit spokesperson Pradip Sinha said, "The BJP never indulges in horse trading. Babulal Marandi should take care of his own party, where several activists and leaders don't accept him as their leader." Earlier in the day, Marandi led a party delegation to Raj Bhavan for submitted a memorandum to Governor Syed Ahmed.

Ahmed, however, was not there as he is in Delhi to attend the two-day Conference of Governors beginning Wednesday.

JVM Legislature Party leader Pradip Yadav said, "In the memorandum, we urged the governor to order a judicial probe by a sitting judge into the horse trading of MLAs." Marandi, who had led the first BJP-led NDA government after Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar on 15 November, 2000, left the saffron party and floated JVM a few years ago.

Yesterday, the JVM had suspended four of its eight MLAs on the charge of "anti-party activities".