BJP MLA Jai Prakash Bhai Patel joins Congress, likely to contest from Hazaribagh

Ranchi, March 20: Giving a set-back to BJP in Jharkhand, INDIA bloc has included three term Mandu MLA and  BJP chief whip in assembly Jai Prakash Bhai Patel in its fold at Delhi on Wednesday.

According to party sources, he will be the Congress candidate from Hazaribagh parliamentary seat.

Jai Prakash Bhai Patel is the son of Teklal Mahato, who was an associate of veteran JMM leader Shibu Soren. Teklal Mahato once had great influence in JMM and had considerable influence among Kurmi voters. But just before the 2019 assembly elections, JP Patel joined BJP.

JP Patel is a three-term MLA from Mandu. On this occasion, Congress in-charge Ghulam Ahmed Mir welcomed him and said that his arrival will strengthen the party.

At the same time, state party president Rajesh Thakur said that after joining BJP, he realized that he had made a mistake. He joined a party whose ideology does not match that of BJP.

After joining Congress, this former BJP leader said that he did not join Congress under any political pressure.

“I have joined Congress to strengthen the India alliance and to fulfill my father’s dreams. After joining BJP, I found that I had joined a party whose ideology did not match with my father’s ideology,” said Patel.

On the question of being the Lok Sabha candidate from Hazaribagh seat, JP Patel said that he did not join Congress for the greed of any post.

Amar Bauri demanded from the Speaker to cancel the assembly membership of JP Patel.

Ranchi, March 20: BJP legislative party leader Amar Kumar Bauri has written a letter to assembly speaker Rabindranath Mahato demanding cancellation of MLA Jai Prakash Bhai Patel’s membership of the Assembly.

He said that Jai Prakash Bhai Patel had become MLA by winning the election from Mandu assembly seat on the election symbol of BJP.

BJP also made him a whip in the party, but he has joined Congress in violation of the constitutional provisions. This defection comes under the ambit of law, hence action should be taken against under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution.