The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) making a foray in Odisha politics succeeds in getting its first MLA George Tirkey of Birmitrapur in Sundergarh district of Odisha. Tirkey along with his 200-250 supporters rejoined the party in presence of JMM acting president Hemant Soren in Ranchi.
“In the last 25 years of my political career, I did not find any of the political parties which could protect ‘jal, jangal and zameen’ of the tribal people, except Jharkhand Mukti Morcha due to which I made up a mind of homecoming into its fold,” said George Tirkey.
With this, the political scenario of Odisha will completely change and JMM will bag at least 20-22 assembly seats during the coming Assembly elections, he added.
“None of the political parties succeeded in raising the voice of the tribal people following which respecting the public sentiments, I was compelled to join JMM again,” said Tirkey.
He said that he will make all efforts to strengthen JMM in Odisha as he had a penetration in almost every district of the State. “As the modus operandi of the ruling parties in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Jharkhand for looting of land of tribal people compelling them to become displaced on their own land is same, it is the need of the hour that they should become united and vote for Jharkhand Mukti Morcha paving its way to come into power in all the four states,” Tirkey said.
Soren welcomed Tirkey with open arms and said that the party has a large mass base in the districts like Sundergarh, Rourkela and other adjoining districts of Odisha where the party will expedite the party activities to ensure the assembly and parliamentary seats earlier acquired by the party.
“We will try to re-induct those former MPs and MLAs into the party fold who had left it for some reasons to strengthen the mass base in Odisha and carry forward the battle being fought for the poor, oppressed, destitute and tribal people by the party,” said Soren.
The movement will be strengthened by the party in the coming days, he added.
Tirkey, who started his political career from Jharkhand Mukti Morcha in the year 1995, remained two times MLA (1995-2000, 2000-2005) from the party ticket following which he formed his own party Samta Kranti Dal against not including some of the districts in Jharkhand.