Former deputy chief minister Stephen Marandi today quit Congress and returned to Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) headed by ex-chief minister Babulal Marandi.
"I returned to the party which Babulalji and I had floated in 2006," Marandi said after rejoining the JVM here.
Stephen Marandi, who quit Shibu Soren's Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) after a long association following denial of ticket during the 2005 Assembly elections, contested from Dumka as an Independent and defeated JMM candidate Hemant Soren, the present Chief Minister.
When Babulal Marandi quit the BJP that year, both the Marandis floated the JVM.
Stephen Marandi, however, quit the JVM and supported the Madhu Koda-headed UPA government, in whose ministry he became the deputy chief minister.
After losing the 2009 Assembly elections, Stephen Marandi joined the Congress before quitting now.
"I have faxed my resignation letter to party president Sonia Gandhi. I quit because I have become disillusioned with the state Congress leadership.
"I had quit the JVM because I did not like some people joining the party then. Now that those people have gone, I came back to the party-fold," Stephen Marandi added.
Embracing Stephen, Babulal Marandi claimed, "The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha will be rooted out from Jharkhand. The state can't be developed by the JMM, the Congress or the BJP.
