Lone NCP MLA In Jharkhand Joins BJP Ahead Of Assembly Polls

Jharkhand's sole Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator Kamlesh Singh joined the BJP on Friday ahead of the upcoming state assembly elections.

The Hussainabad MLA, who withdrew his support from the Hemant Soren-led government on November 1 last year, asserted that he would strengthen the party in Palamu. He was welcomed into the saffron party by Jharkhand BJP president Babulal Marandi during a ceremony at the party's headquarters. “Singh’s joining the BJP will give a new strength and power to the party,” Marandi said.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is the BJP's election co-in-charge for Jharkhand, also attended the event. “An atmosphere in favour of BJP has been created in Jharkhand that change will happen here and nobody can stop it. I believe that Singh’s joining will give further strength to it,” Sarma said. He said that Singh was in the NCP which is an ally of the BJP. “He supported the BJP in the Jharkhand assembly on many occasions. He officially joined the party today,” Sarma said.

Sarma also said that the party has the only objective to form a full majority government in Jharkhand and make it one of the top five developed states in the country.

Speaking on the occasion, Singh said that the BJP was fighting to change the future and image of the state. “The Bangladeshi infiltration is unchecked, corruption is on the rise and the law and order situation has deteriorated under the current regime of the alliance government,” Singh said, adding that he would strengthen the party in Palamu and across the state. Singh had withdrawn his support from the Soren-led government after his demand for Hussainabad, located in Palamu district, to be designated as a separate district was not met.

Following the political turmoil within the NCP in Maharashtra, Singh aligned himself with the Ajit Pawar-led faction, which is allied with the BJP. Later, speaking to reporters Sarma said that the party would release five highlights of the manifesto on Saturday.

Over the announcement of candidates, he said that they are ready with the first list of candidates but now the party parliamentary board has to decide to release a composite list of all seats or it would go with the announcement of candidates in phases. He said that the seat-sharing discussion was almost finalised with the AJSU Party and JD (U) and they expect to announce something by next week.