E-Paper
Geeta Koda, lone Congress MP in Jharkhand, joins BJP ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha elections
Geeta Koda's switch to BJP is seen as a setback for Congress in Jharkhand, where she won in 2019 riding against BJP tide.
The lone Congress MP in Jharkhand Geeta Koda joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday in the presence of state unit chief Babulal Marandi. Geeta Koda, the wife of former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda, was reportedly unhappy with alliances forged by the Congress party in the state, according to news agency ANI.
On her reason for quitting Congress, Geeta Koda accused the grand old party of resorting to politics of appeasement.
"The Congress has pushed the country into ruins. The Congress is only doing appeasement politics. On one hand, they claim they want to take everyone along, but the fact remains they care for none and are only concerned about their family. There is no point in staying in a party that is least concerned about people. I have decided to serve people in future with the BJP. I would contribute in whatever capacity the party requires me to. Will contribute in fulfilling the dream of Prime Minister Modi to make India Viksit Bharat," Geeta said.
Geeta Koda's move ahead of the crucial 2024 Lok Sabha elections is seen as a major setback to the Congress party, which had won just one seat in the tribal-dominated state in the last general elections. Geeta Koda held her own in an election otherwise swept by the Narendra Modi-led BJP juggernaut.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Koda defeated her nearest rival Laxman Giluwa of the BJP by over 72,000 votes. She secured more than 49 per cent of the total votes polled while Giluwa received nearly 41 per cent of the votes.
Read: Why are Jharkhand Congress MLAs upset with ruling JMM?
BJP Jharkhand president Babulal Marandi had questioned the existence of the opposition INDIA bloc and termed the group an amalgamation of "corrupt people".
“INDI alliance was not in existence, and in the future as well, it will not come into existence. Mamata Banerjee is saying that she will not be giving any seats to the left and Congress in West Bengal. Arvind Kejriwal has also clarified his stance on Punjab and Haryana, saying that he will not be doing seat sharing.”
To be sure, AAP and Congress recently announced seat-sharing in Delhi, Gujarat, Goa, Haryana, and Chandigarh.
When asked about the BJP's performance in Jharkhand in the upcoming Lok Sabha election, Marandi had said, "Last time the NDA alliance won 12 seats and missed two seats, this time we are going to win those two seats as well, and we are preparing for the same."
(With inputs from Vishal Kant in Ranchi)
