Babulal Marandi merges JVM with BJP, Amit Shah says he was stubborn against joining

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Babulal Marandi has merged his Jharkhand Vikas Morcha with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at an event in Ranchi in the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda.

Marandi went back to his parent party BJP 14 years after he quit the party and formed the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM).

Welcoming Marandi in BJP, Amit Shah said, "I have been trying to bring Babulal Marandi into BJP since I was made BJP chief in 2014. Someone rightly said that he is quite stubborn. We couldn't persuade him easily. He has now joined BJP as per the wish of the people of Jharkhand."

Before that, Marandi also said that BJP has been trying since 2014 to bring him back into the party fold.

Babulal marandi said that the merger was not sudden. "BJP was in touch with us since 2014. BJP had contacted us after the Lok Sabha elections and assembly elections in 2014. Right from the beginning BJP wanted us to merge with them," said Marandi after joining the party on Monday.

In 2000, Babulal Marandi became the first Jharkhand chief minister and also the first BJP CM. Marandi had formed JVM later after splitting with BJP.

On Monday, Babulal Marandi merged his party with BJP. Marandi joined BJP along with workers of his party.

Amit Shah and JP Nadda were also present at the event in Ranchi.

Ahead of the Monday event, Jharkhand BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo had said thousands of BJP workers from across the state will welcome former chief minister Babulal Marandi at Jagannathpur Maidan in Ranchi.

JVM principal general secretary Abhay Singh said that more than 20,000 of its party workers will attend the event.

The party's merger with the BJP will be historic in Jharkhand politics, a party release said.

Marandi had on February 11 announced JVM-P's merger with the BJP, 14 years after he had quit the saffron party and floated his outfit.