Jharkhand: AJSU’s Ganga Narayan Singh joins BJP; to contest Madhupur by-poll

By Express News Service
RANCHI: Ahead of Madhupur Assembly by-elections in Jharkhand, Ganga Narayan Singh, who was AJSU candidate from the seat and secured third position in 2014 Assembly polls, joined BJP in presence of the legislative party leader Babulal Marandi and other senior party leaders on Monday. 

With this, it has become clear that Singh will be the BJP candidate for Madhupur by-polls. Sigh, after joining the party, said that he has been shouting slogans in favour of BJP since his childhood, but now he has become its soldier. 

“I will work for the party selflessly and bring thinking of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the villages,” said Singh. 

According to party insiders, the decision was taken to keep National Democratic Alliance (NDA) intact in the State as there was a possibility that if BJP fielded any other candidate from the seat, Ganga Narayan Singh would have contested from there as he had secured a significant number of votes in 2014 polls, leading to the division of NDA votes, ultimately benefitting the ruling alliance. 

“Therefore, focusing only on winning the seat, it was decided to take a middle path so that the NDA votes remain intact,” said a party insider, requesting anonymity. 

In case, there have been separate candidates for BJP and AJSU, there was a possibility of division of votes, leading to the loss to the candidates of both the parties, he added. 

The party sources also said that after induction of Singh in the party, his name will be sent to the central leadership for its approval and final announcement could be done March 25. AJSU, however, has ensured all support to Singh for the winning the seat. 

“AJSU is united and will ensure all support to Ganga Narayan Singh, who had been a strong candidate from AJSU Party,” said AJSU Spokesperson Deosharan Bhagat. 

Notably, Hafeezul Hassan, the elder son of former minister late Haji Hussain Ansari, has already been inducted in the cabinet of Chief Minister Hemant Soren even before becoming an MLA. Hassan replaced his father who passed a day after recovering from Covid-19 at a private hospital in Ranchi on October 3.