RNS I Ranchi: Jai Prakash Bhai Patel, a BJP MLA and the son of the late Tek Lal Mahto, a member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India and a key figure in the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, has joined the Congress party. Patel, who has served five terms in the Jharkhand state legislature, made this move just before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, shaking up the BJP in Jharkhand. Patel represented the Madu Assembly seat in the Hazaribagh Lok Sabha constituency.
Patel joined the Indian National Congress in the presence of AICC in-charge of Jharkhand Alam Gir Alam, Jharkhand Congress chief Rajesh Thakur, Jharkhand Minister Alamgir Alam, and the party’s media and publicity department head Pawan Khera. He cited the misalignment of BJP’s ideologies with those of his father, Tek Lal Mahto, as the reason for his switch.
Patel praised Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Nyay Jodo Yatra and expressed confidence in the INDIA alliance winning all 14 seats in the Jharkhand Lok Sabha elections. He emphasised that his decision was not due to any pressure but was driven by his commitment to fulfilling his father’s dreams and strengthening the INDIA alliance in the country.
“I don’t care about my post, I want to save Jharkhand,” Patel stated. He currently represents the Mandu Assembly constituency under the Hazaribagh Lok Sabha segment. Patel was previously an MLA of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) but switched to the BJP just before the 2019 elections.
