BJP MLA from Jharkhand Jai Prakash Bhai Patel joins Congress

New Delhi: Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, BJP MLA from Jharkhand Jai Prakash Bhai Patel joined the Congress on Wednesday and vowed to strengthen the INDIA bloc.

Patel joined the Congress at the party headquarters in the presence of AICC in-charge of Jharkhand Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Jharkhand Congress chief Rajesh Thakur, Jharkhand minister Alamgir Alam and party's media and publicity department head Pawan Khera.

Patel is an MLA from the Mandu assembly constituency that falls under the Hazaribagh Lok Sabha segment. Earlier he had been an MLA of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.

Patel said he wants to fulfil the dreams his father Tek Lal Mahto, a former MP, had for Jharkhand. He said he was unable to find his father's ideology in the NDA and has now vowed to work to strengthen the INDIA bloc in the state.

Patel said Jharkhand has resolved to ensure INDIA bloc's victory in all 14 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

"I have joined the Congress not for any greed or post but for ideology and to fulfil the dreams of my father had for the state," Patel said.

Patel could be fielded by the Congress from the Hazaribagh Lok Sabha constituency in the upcoming polls.

Mir said this joining was an indication of the things to come and claimed that many leaders from various parties in Jharkhand and West Bengal were in touch with the Congress for crossing over.

He said some want to join as it is election season but many have been impressed by the party's ideology and the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo yatras.