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Hazaribagh, Jan. 20: JVM chief Babulal Marandi today hit out at the Congress and BJP, blaming both the national parties for plunging the state in yet another spell of uncertainty.
Addressing a huge gathering of party workers at Annanda College Ground here, the former chief minister demanded immediate dissolution of the state Assembly to prevent the Congress from again propping someone like Madhu Koda to the hot seat of power, whose sole ambition would be to plunder the mineral-rich state.
“The Congress and BJP are both same. Leaders of both the parties are eyeing the state’s minerals to fill their own pockets,” Marandi said.
He did not even spare regional parties like JMM and Ajsu, warning the public that they ought to be cautious about voting for either in the event of an election. “JMM and Ajsu want to enjoy power and money by getting closer to the same parties against which they had contested elections,” said the JVM leader, who himself had formed a pre-poll alliance with the Congress last time.
However, much water has passed under the bridge since then and JVM has snapped its ties with its ally.
Marandi’s immediate demand is dissolution of the state Assembly to prevent fresh trading of MLAs for government formation. “It is better that we go for elections, which is sure to throw up a majority government this time. Experiences of the past 12 years have left Jharkhand people disappointed, who no longer want to rely on parties like BJP and Congress. Only JVM can steer the state towards development,” he added.
Senior party leader Pradeep Yadav went a step further and asked party workers to start preparations for election.
Former MLA of Bagoder Gautam Sagar Rana, on the other hand, launched a scathing attack on Hazaribagh MP Yashwant Sinha.
“Even former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in whose cabinet Sinha was a minister, had ranked him as the poorest finance minister of India. He is solely responsible for poor development in Hazaribagh and lacks qualities of a good leader,” Rana said.
JVM leader and Hazaribagh municipal board’s acting chairman Manish Jaiswal played to the gallery, assuring Marandi of victory from five Assembly seats of Hazaribagh. “People want change and Hazaribagh will vote for JVM,” he declared.
After the meeting, Marandi led party workers in a march till Jhanda Chowk, demanding dissolution of the Assembly.
Later in the evening, Sinha’s spokesperson Anil Sinha issued a statement against Rana, claiming that he had “lost his mental balance”.
“Before attacking Sinha, Rana should have looked into his own history of changing parties frequently. He can never be loyal to one party. Once his interest gets crushed, he prefers to go to some other party,” Anil Sinha said.
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