JMM MLA denounces oppn seat sharing deal, to support Modi

Sitting JMM MLA Jai Prakash Bhai Patel Friday decried the seat sharing deal of opposition parties of Jharkhand and announced his support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Patel's move came after the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leadership 'ignored' his request to nominate him either in Giridih or Hazaribagh Lok Sabha constituency.

However, Hazaribagh went to the Congress in the seat sharing deal among the opposition parties in Jharkhand and the JMM nominated another MLA, Jagarnath Mahato, for Giridih.

Patel claimed that ignoring his candidature for Lok Sabha elections "is an insult to my father late Teklal Mahato, who was once JMM MP of Giridih and five-time MLA of Mandu".

After his father's death, Patel won twice from Mandu which is under Hazaribagh Lok Sabha constituency.

The seat sharing deal was made with an aim to win Dumka (ST) and Rajmahal (ST) seats where Shibu Soren and sitting MP Vijay Hansda were nominated respectively.

"The JMM leadership should not think that the JMM is the property of the family of Shibu Soren," Patel told a press conference here.

Asked whether he will quit the JMM, he said he would announce his future course of action later.

Praising former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for creating Jharkhand state, Patel expressed his admiration to Narendra Modi for "his good leadership".

"I have decided to support NDA candidates in all the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Jharkhand," he said.