Internal wrangling in the BJP has come to the fore after a seat sharing announcement by the saffron party with six senior leaders defecting to JMM on Monday night ahead of Assembly polls scheduled on November 13 and 20 respectively.

BJP insiders said it was expected as several leaders who had been with the party for decades were overlooked.

“It was expected as BJP which had been raising voice against Congress and JMM for doing dynastic politics fielded wife, daughter-in-law and son of leaders with little or no contribution for the party in the ensuing assembly polls from important seats. This has rattled the sentiments of party leaders who had kept quite over ‘para-trooping’ of leaders from JMM and Congress to BJP for several months,” said a senior East Singhbhum district level BJP leader.

In the list of candidates announced by the BJP on Saturday, Babulal Soren, son of former chief minister and JMM leader Champai Soren has been fielded from Ghatshila (ST reserved), Meera Munda, wife of former union minister Arjun Munda has been fielded from Potka (ST reserved), Purnima Das Sahu, daughter-in-law of former chief minister and Odisha governor Raghubar Das from Jamshedpur East and Sonaram Bodra, loyalist of Champai from Kharsawan (ST reserved) while Champai will be contesting from the Seraikela seat.

Former Dumka MLA and former cabinet minister Louis Marandi has been denied ticket from Dumka (ST reserved seat) in Santhal Pargana region with former Dumka MP Sunil Soren being fielded from the seat. “This is just the beginning and in the days to come several more BJP leaders will be joining the party,” said a senior JMM leader.

The BJP leaders who joined the JMM at Hemant Soren’s residence on Monday night include former cabinet minister Louis Marandi who had defeated Hemant in 2014 from the Dumka Assembly constituency, former Ghatshila MLA Laxman Tuddu, former Baharagora MLA Kunal Sarangi, BJP Seraikela leader, Ganesh Mahali who had lost to Champai Soren by narrow margin in 2014 and 2019 and Basco Besra having considerable following in industrial belt of Gamharia. Other leaders who joined the JMM include BJP East Singhbhum chief and zilla parishad chairperson, Bari Murmu.