Babulal's claim as mass leader only a myth: BJP

Ranchi, Aug 3 (UNI) A day after party candidate's drubbing at the hands of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha by nearly 59,000 vote in the byelection to Jamshedpur parliamentary seat, the BJP today attributed its defeat to former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi saying his role was only confined to playing a 'puppet'.

Mr Marandi, the president of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM), who had deserted the saffron brigade last year, was acting as dummy for the UPA in the September 29 byelection in which BJP candidate Dinesh Sarangi was defeated by JMM's Suman Mahto, widow of Sunil Mahto.

Party spokesperson Biranchi Narain said Mr Marandi had ''conspired'' with the ruling UPA coalition and joined hands with the latter by fielding a dummy candidate only to affect BJP's vote bank.

The BJP leader said the former Chief Minister actually had nothing to do with development for he was now more involved in activities causing ''worry'' to BJP.

Referring to results of the bypoll, he made sarcastic comments saying the ''real picture'' of Mr Marandi's much-hyped claim as a mass leader, was shown.

The JVM lost its security in the byelection.

He also accused the JVM president of acting as puppet of the Christian missionery.

Earlier, BJP president P N Singh accused the ruling UPA in Jharkhand of misusing government machinery in the byelection.

UNI