Before the Lok Sabha elections, Geeta Koda, the Congress MP representing Singhbhum in Jharkhand and wife of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda, joined the BJP on Monday. She made her move official at the party’s state office in the presence of Jharkhand BJP chief Babulal Marandi.
Reports suggest that Geeta Koda was dissatisfied with the alliances formed by the Congress party in the state, leading her to submit her resignation to the party’s high command. Her departure is seen as a setback for the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Earlier, Babulal Marandi, the BJP Jharkhand president, questioned the existence of the INDIA bloc alliance, labeling it as a coalition of “corrupt individuals.” He referred to recent decisions by leaders like Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal to refrain from forming alliances with the Congress in West Bengal and Punjab, respectively, as evidence that the INDIA alliance lacked credibility.
Marandi expressed confidence in the BJP’s prospects in Jharkhand for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, aiming to secure the two seats missed in the previous election to add to the 12 seats won by the NDA alliance.
Regarding the arrest of Hemant Soren, the JMM Chief and former Jharkhand Chief Minister, by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam, Marandi insinuated that it was a consequence of Soren’s actions. He criticized Soren’s governance, accusing him of corruption and negligence towards issues raised by the opposition.