Ranchi: Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Sunday criticised former BJP leader and ex Jharkhand chief minister Babulal Marandi for joining hands with the Congress despite charging it with corruption and non-performance for several years.
"When Marandi was with the RSS, VHP and BJP, he used to bash the Congress on issues like corruption and non-performance for years. And now he has joined hands with Congress for the coming assembly polls in Jharkhand," Modi, a BJP veteran on a poll campaign here, told a press conference.
"After he joined hands with the Congress for the coming
assembly polls several of his party workers (Jharkhand Vikas
Morcha-Prajatantric) have come back to BJP. We appeal to the
rest of his supporters to return to our party," he said.
Former ministers Ravindra Rai and Deepak Prakash,
considered close to Marandi, have rejoined BJP recently
leaving JVM-P.
Marandi was the first chief minister of Jharkhand and
headed the NDA government from November 15, 2000 before the
BJP unceremoniously replaced him with Arjun Munda in March
2003.
The Congress and the JVM-P are jointly contesting the
coming assembly elections in Jharkhand. While JVM-P is
contesting in 19 seats, the Congress is fighting in the rest
62 seats.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, November 22, 2009, 13:25