With assembly polls scheduled for later this year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is drawing defectors from other parties in droves. The latest entrants included Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) stalwart Simon Marandi and JD-U legislator Raja Peter who joined the BJP on Raksha Bandhan Sunday, in the presence of former Jharkhand chief minister Arjun Munda.
The other key leaders who also joined BJP include former minister and JMM leader Dulal Bhuiya and former Ranchi deputy mayor Ajay Nath Shahdeo.
Welcoming the new entrants, Munda said: "BJP is a party of ethics. As people have given clear mandate to the BJP in Delhi, we hope people of Jharkhand will give similar mandate to the party in the state."
A few days ago, four legislators of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P) had joined the BJP in the presence of party president Amit Shah in New Delhi. In Ranchi, two former ministers also joined the BJP.
