No difference between Congress and BJP: Marandi

There was no difference between the UPA government at the Centre and BJP, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantric-JVM) chief Babulal Marandi alleged.

Ranchi:There was no difference between the UPA government at the Centre and the BJP-led coalition in the state as both have failed to deliver people-friendly policies, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantric-JVM) chief Babulal Marandi alleged here today.

"Besides, corruption has been rampant both at the state and central level with public funds being looted through various scams," Marandi said a day after announcing withdrawal of support to the Manmohan Singh government in protest against the reforms launched by the Centre.

"Keeping equal distance from BJP and Congress, the JVM will fight all the 81 assembly and 14 Lok Sabha seats in the state alone," said Marandi, who had snapped ties with the BJP seven years ago to float the JVM.

In his reaction, BJP state unit vice-president Deepak Prakash sought to remind Marandi that it was because of the BJP he had become the chief minister when the state was created on on November 15, 2000.

"Babulal Marandi used BJP as crutches to become the CM and then used the Congress to increase his strength in the state assembly.

These show his political over-ambition." said Prakash, who had quit BJP to join Marandi`s JVM before re-joining the BJP.

State Congress General Secretary Sailesh Sinha said, "Many Congress leaders and workers had been against the pre-poll alliance because we knew Marandi would use the Congress as a ladder to climb up. And he succeeded in winning seats because of Congress votes."

The JVM`s withdrawal of support would not make any sort of impact on the Congress, Sinha added.

PTI

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