Congress's lone Jharkhand MP Geeta Koda quits party, joins BJP
The lone Congress MP from Jharkhand, Geeta Koda, on Monday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Koda, wife of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda and Singhbhum MP, was reportedly unhappy with the alliances formed by the Congress in the state ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. She joined the BJP in the presence of state party chief Babulal Marandi in Ranchi.
Why does this story matter?
Koda's switch to the BJP will throw a wrench in the Congress's poll preparation in Jharkhand. To recall, in the 2019 elections, the Congress won only one seat—Singhbhum constituency—in the tribal-dominated state. While, the BJP and its allies won 12 out of the 14 seats in Jharkhand. Koda beat her nearest rival, the BJP's Laxman Giluwa, by over 72,000 votes. She polled over 49% votes.
Congress's policies aren't in nation's interest: Koda
Speaking about her switch to the BJP, Koda alleged that the Congress's policies are not in the interest of the country. "The way Congress is doing appeasement politics, dividing people, it has hurt people," she told the ANI. "The party leadership has always remained silent and not responded to us at all. The way PM Narendra Modi ji is working for every sector, only under his leadership there will be development in Jharkhand," she added.
BJP to win all 14 seats in Jharkhand
According to Koda, she had made multiple attempts to make the Congress aware of the "issues" in the state, but no one listened to her. "In the coming time, BJP will win all 14 (Lok Sabha) seats in the state," she said. The newly-inducted BJP leader said she had a change heart because of PM Modi. "He is working for every section of the society. That's his big plus point," she told the media.