Jaleshwar Mahato, former Jharkhand minister and state president of the Janata Dal (United), joined the Congress on Saturday.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi welcomed Mahato to the party, it said.
Mahato was a JDU MLA from the Baghmara Vidhan Sabha constituency from 2000-09. His joining the Congress is seen by political analysts as a blow to the Nitish Kumar-led JDU in Jharkhand.
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