Chaibasa: Former Jharkhand chief minister and coal scam accused Madhu Koda joined Congress on Thursday in the presence of state party chief Dr Ajoy Kumar. The development comes a month after his wife Geeta Koda, an MLA from Jaggnathpur constituency, joined the Congress in presence of Rahul Gandhi.
In 2006, Koda became only the third CM in the history of the country to hold the post as an independent legislator with the outside support of RJD, JMM and Congress. However, Koda began his journey in politics with the BJP, when he was elected to the Bihar legislature from Jagannathpur.
However, in 2005, BJP refused to give him a ticket and Koda decided to contest as an Independent from Jaganathpur. He won from the constituency and extended support to the BJP-led Arjun Munda government and was awarded the post of minister of mines and geology.
A year later, Koda and three other independent legislators withdrew support from the BJP government and he became the CM with the help of UPA. However, his name soon cropped up in the coal block allocation case and a court this year framed charges of corruption, criminal conspiracy and cheating against Koda.
The CBI has alleged that Koda favoured Jindal group firms Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) and Gagan Sponge Iron Pvt Ltd (GSIPL) in the allocation of the Amarkonda Murgadangal block. Koda, however, has pleaded not guilty.