In a major setback to BJP, its national Vice-President and lone Lok Sabha Member from Jharkhand, Babulal Marandi resigned on Wednesday both from the primary membership of the party and Parliament.
Sources in the Lok Sabha Secretariat said Marandi, MP from Kodarma, sent in his resignation to the Speaker's office by fax.
In a separate resignation letter to party President Rajnath Singh, the former Jharkhand Chief Minister is understood to have resigned from both the primary membership and Vice-Presidentship, party sources said.
Marandi's resignation came even as the party high command made last-minute efforts to persuade him not to take the extreme step, first by deputing General Secretary (Organisation) Sanjay Joshi to talk to him and later asking former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha to intervene.
However, Marandi ignored Joshi's request and commenced his 24-hour fast in Giridih district of the state against the "rampant corruption."
The former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi on Wednesday went on a 24-hour fast against "rampant corruption" and "growing extremism" in NDA-ruled Jharkhand.
In a related development, Surya Singh Besra, convener of the apolitical outfit Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM), under which Marandi had been leading a tirade against the state government, lodged a complaint against the Chief Minister Arjun Munda and his nephew alleging that he had been threatened over phone on Wednesday morning.
{{/usCountry}}In a related development, Surya Singh Besra, convener of the apolitical outfit Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM), under which Marandi had been leading a tirade against the state government, lodged a complaint against the Chief Minister Arjun Munda and his nephew alleging that he had been threatened over phone on Wednesday morning.
{{/usCountry}}Marandi, who had rebelled against then party president LK Advani in May last year for nomination of Yadunath Pandey as the state unit chief, ignored the advice of BJP National General Secretary Sanjay Joshi to call off his fast as it would show the party in bad light.
"Whatever I have to say I will after 10:00 am on Thursday," Marandi told newsmen at Sevatand in his Giridih Lok Sabha constituency. He also alleged rampant corruption in the higher echelons of the NDA government, which he said was putting spokes in the path of progress.
At a meeting of the JVM on Sunday Marandi had said that he would fight against corruption and extremism under the banner of JVM floated by him and former JMM Vice-President and independent MLA Stephen Marandi.
At Jamshedpur, Surya Singh Besra, who is also the president of the Jharkhand People's party, after filing the complaint with the Govindpur police station, told newsmen that he received the threats for leveling corruption charges against the Chief Minister at Sunday's meeting at which Babulal Marandi and Stephen Marandi were present.