Babulal Marandi convenes JVM(P) executive committee meeting on Feb 11

President of the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) Party Babulal Marandi has convened an executive committee meeting of the party on Tuesday, amidst media reports that the party is heading towards a merger with the BJP.

A JVM(P) leader said that the agenda of the meeting has not yet been finalised. BJPs national general secretary Arun Singh also refused to comment on reports that the Babulal Marandi-led JVM-P "is heading towards a merger with the BJP". Replying to a question at a press conference here, the BJP MP said, "The central leadership has to take a decision on the merger."

The February 11 meeting will take place days after two party MLAs were expelled for alleged anti-party activities. The JVM(P) on Thursday expelled its MLA, Pradip Yadav, from the party's primary membership days after he met Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi.

Yadav was the second party MLA after Bandhu Tirkey to have been axed within a fortnight for alleged anti-party activities. The JVM(P) had bagged three seats in the Assembly elections held last year. Besides Yadav and Tirkey, party chief Babulal Marandi had won.

JVM(P)'s principal general secretary Abhay Singh had said that Yadav, who represents Poreyahat constituency, was expelled from the party's primary membership on disciplinary grounds. The party had on February 4 served a notice to Yadav seeking an explanation over his meeting AICC interim president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on January 23.

The JVM(P) also sought to know from him about his statements in the media, which were allegedly against party president Babulal Marandi. Yadav, who had also joined a meeting against theCitizenship (Amendment) Act organised by the Congress in Godda without his party's permission, was asked to reply to the show-cause notice within 48 hours.

The action was taken against him after he failed to reply to the show cause notice, Abhay Singh said. The JVM(P) had on January 21 expelled its Mandar MLA Bandhu Tirkey for allegedly campaigning against the party's official candidate in Hatia constituency during the assembly elections. Tirkey also accompanied Yadav during his meeting with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. A day after this meeting, the JVM(P) withdrew support to the Hemant Soren-led government in Jharkhand accusing the ruling alliance partner Congress of attempting to poach its MLAs.