Rajnath accepts Marandi's resignation from BJP

New Delhi, May 23: BJP President Rajnath Singh today accepted the resignation of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Babulal Marandi from the Party's Vice Presidentship as well as the primary membership.

With this development, hopes of the party to make Mr Marandi, the party's lone Lok Sabha MP from Jharkhand, reverse his decision have been dashed. It has also become clear that Mr Marandi, who also quit his Koderma seat last week, will be floating his own political outfit.

Mr Marandi, in his resignation letter, said that he was not merely disappointed by the performance of the NDA coalition in Ranchi but also the attitude of the national BJP leaders who, he alleged, were working with corrupt forces.

After the news of the resignation became public knowledge, the party had despatched a team consisting of former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha and Rajya Sabha MP Devidas Apte who enjoys good equations with the former Jharkhand Chief Minister in a vain bid to woo back the defiant leader.

Although his resignation has reached Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, the rules require the Member's personal presence before it is formally accepted.

The acceptance of Mr Marandi's resignation by Mr Singh was confirmed by Party's Office Secretary Shayam Jaju.

UNI