Two BJP MLAs to support Babulal in Koderma bypoll

Ranchi, Oct 7 (UNI) Dealing yet another blow to the BJP, two party legislators, along with a few other activists, today said they will support former chief minister and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha president Babulal Marandi in the November six byelection to Koderma Parliamentary seat.

The BJP's nominnee for the by-poll is 29-year-old Pranav Verma, whose late father had won the seat for fifth term.

MLAs Ravindra Rai and Kunti Singh made this announcement at a seminar on ''Present Political Situation and Our Role'' held here, saying they felt ignored many times on many party matters.

Besides, State Mineral Development Corporation president Deepak Prakash and former MLA Arvind Singh said they resigned from the BJP and would support Mr Marandi in the Koderma bypoll.

Since Mr Marandi, then national BJP vice ptresident, resigned from the party in May, Mr Rai had made no bones about his loyalty to the party deserter.

''We had been making sacrifices for the party but of no avail,'' he said.

When Mr Babulal Marandi bowed out of power, many BJP workers requested the BJP leadership to go for fresh polls but the leadership somehow wanted to be in the saddle and installed Mr Arjun Munda as the Chief Minister, Mr Rai said.

''Again in the 2005 polls, the party did not project any Chief Ministerial candidate but after the result, Mr Venkaiah Naidu came and made Mr Munda the Chief Minister,'' he said, adding there was no democracy in the party now.

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