As anticipated, Sudam Marandi, president of the Odisha unit of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) quit his party and joined the BJD barely hours after talks between the two parties broke down reportedly over differences on seat sharing.
Marandi is tipped to be the BJD candidate from the Mayurbhanj Lok Sabha seat, which he had represented in the past. Marandi arrived at Navin Nivas in the evening where he announced joining the BJD. Earlier in the day, BJD vice-president Kalpataru Das had announced that talks between BJD and JMM has failed over differences on seat sharing.
Das said BJD has decided to go it alone in the polls by contesting all the 147 Assembly seats after negotiations with JMM fell through.
Talks between two parties failed after JMM chief Shibu Soren on Tuesday put his down by denying to have any truck with the BJD.
But negotiations were still on with the BJD leaders trying to persuade Soren through JMM State president Sudam Marandi.
JMM had demanded six Assembly seats which was not acceptable to the BJD. BJD was offering five seats to JMM-three in Mayurbhanj and one in Sundargarh district. BJD also did not go for any alliance with the left parties.
