Shashank Shekhar
Ranchi (Jharkhand) : Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (P) President and first Chief Minister of Jharkhand Babulal Marandi, 62, returned to his parent party BJP after 14 years on February 17, 2020. Marandi returned to the saffron party in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah besides other top leaders of Jharkhand including union minister Arjun Munda, former CM Raghubar Das, and others at Dhurwa Ground Ranchi amidst a cheering crowd. Marandi represents Rajdhanwar Constituency (Giridih) in Jharkhand Assembly. Marandi merged the JVM with the BJP.
Humble in his speech while addressing the crowd, Marandi, a former MP, said that though top leaders of BJP were trying to get him back into the party since he left it in 2006, he remained reluctant. “I have not come back to my original home to take any top party post. I am even ready to serve as an ordinary worker who can even sweep the party office premises if need arises. I joined BJP as it is the call of the hour and no party can match BJP which a nationalist party in true sense,” said Marandi.
At the Dhurwa Ground, Amit Shah informed that he was trying his best for the return of Babulal Marandi since 2014 when he became BJP president. Shah said Babulal Marandi’s return to the party will strengthen it. “Babulal Marandi will get respectable position in the BJP, “said Shah.
When contacted, Marandi’s one time lieutenant and former cabinet minister, Pradip Yadav, MLA, lamented the decision of Marandi to rejoin the BJP. Yadav quipped, “He is searching for the Qutub Minar about which Marandi had repeatedly stated in the past that he will jump off from the tall structure rather that joining BJP.”