Babulal Marandi's party extends support to Jharkhand's JMM-led alliance

Ranchi, Dec 24: The Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) Tuesday extended support to pre-poll alliance of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

The support by the JVM-P came after JMM legislature party leader Hemant Soren called on Babulal Marandi at his residence, a JVM-P press release said.

It said that the party will extend support to "the new coalition government-in-waiting".

JVM(P) has won three seats in the just-concluded assembly polls in Jharkhand. Besides Mr Marandi, who was the first chief minister of the tribal state, the other two are Pradip Yadav and Bandhu Tirkey.

The three-party alliance has won 47 of the state's 81 seats. The JMM won 30 seats, Congress 16 and RJD one.

JVM(P) was a part of the ''Mahagathbandhan'' of the JMM, Congress and RJD before the Lok Sabha elections but Mr Marandi had exited it to contest alone.