JMM MLA Sita Soren Joins BJP, Dealing Blow to Jharkhand Coalition

The JMM party, which is still reeling from the arrest of former chief minister Hemant Soren, suffered another setback on Tuesday when Sita Soren, a three-term MLA from JMM and the older daughter-in-law of the party's founder Shibu Soren, became a member of the BJP in Delhi.

Sita's decision to transfer comes two weeks after the Supreme Court ruled in her favor, holding that members of Congress are not immune from criminal prosecution for receiving bribes in exchange for the right to vote or speak in the House.

Sita, who held the seat for Nala Assembly, submitted her resignation from the JMM, citing indifference and isolation towards her and her family. Weeks before the Lok Sabha elections, she left the party, which is a blow to the JMM-Congress-RJD coalition government that is currently in power in Jharkhand.

Geeta Koda (Singhbhum), the only Lok Sabha member for the Congress in the state, joined the BJP last month.

Sita's close aide Rakesh Choudhary revealed to The Telegraph that she would run for parliament on a BJP ticket. Choudhary stated, "She has joined the BJP and will be looking forward to fighting the Lok Sabha polls from Dumka."

Earlier this month, the BJP declared Sunil Soren, a sitting MP, as its candidate for Dumka. However, since the nomination had not yet been submitted, a top BJP official in Ranchi stated that the party could substitute the candidate.

"Technically she can contest the election as she is yet to be convicted," Choudhary stated in reference to the case that is currently pending against her in the CBI court.

In the 2012 Rajya Sabha elections, Sita is accused of receiving a bribe from an independent candidate. She was also the petitioner in the 1998 JMM bribery case that involved Shibu Soren.

Supriyo Bhattacharya, the central general secretary and spokesperson for the JMM, called Sita's defection an unpleasant occurrence but denied that it would have any bearing on the party's preparations for the Lok Sabha elections.

Since she stood in for our bade bhaiya Durga Soren (older son of Shibu Soren), we always treated her with reverence. She hasn't, however, voiced her complaints in any party forum. The news of her resignation reached us through the media, and before Guruji had a chance to speak with her, we learned that she had joined the BJP in Delhi. She appeared to be determined to take the fatal move. We just send our warmest regards," Bhattacharya remarked.

Sita was reportedly upset that she was left out of the Hemant and Champai Soren cabinets, according to people close to her.

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