The ruling BJP is trying to woo former Chief Minister and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P) President Babulal Marandi back into the party fold ahead of the 2019 general elections, a senior party leader said on Saturday.
"Senior party leaders are in touch with Babulal Marandi. Our party is making efforts to either fight the 2019 polls in alliance with Marandi or get his party merged into the BJP," BJP Jharkhand unit President Lakshman Giluwa told the media in Giridih.
He said that if Marandi joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, he could be given a key position, without clarifying if the position will be in the party or the central government.
Marandi had left the BJP in 2006 and formed the JVM-P.
Earlier too, BJP made efforts to woo Marandi back into the party but in vain.
Marandi, on the other hand, had joined hands with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal-United to fight the BJP.
The BJP move to get Marandi join the party is seen as an attempt to pacify Jharkhand tribals who are said to be unhappy with the Raghubar Das government over amendments made to the Chhotanagur Tenancy Act (CNT) and the Santhal Pargana Tenancy (SPT) Act.
The assembly passed the amendments by voice votes, without holding any discussion amid opposition protests, in November last year.
After the passage of the amendment bills, agricultural land can be used for non-agricultural purposes.
The government can acquire land for infrastructure, power plants, roads, canals, panchayat buildings and others.
--IANS
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