ore than a dozen MLAs, besides other senior leaders, from various parties have joined the BJP in Jharkhand, which is expected to go for Assembly elections around October. While four MLAs of Babulal Marandi's Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM), a regional party, joined the BJP early this week, another party MLA, Phoolchand Mandal along with senior Janata Dal United leader and former minister Lalchand Mahto, joined the BJP on Saturday. Thus, the total number of JVM MLAs joining the BJP has gone up to five. According to top BJP sources, two more JVM MLAs are likely to follow suit in the next two-three days. They are Dhullu Mahto and Nizamuddin Ansari. JVM had contested the 2009 elections in alliance with the Congress and won 11 seats.

Four MLAs, Samresh Singh, Nirbhay Shahabadi, Jaiprakash Bhokta and Chandrika Mahatha, met BJP national president Amit Shah this week in the national capital and expressed their desire to join the party.

All this has dealt a blow on the JVM, which is negotiating with the Congress to revive its alliance in the state. However, so far there has not been any progress as the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), which is at present running a coalition government with the Congress and RJD, is strongly opposed to it.

Many MLAs from JMM, All Jharkhand Students' Union (AJSU), the JDU and even Congress are said to be in touch with the BJP brass and exploring their option in the saffron party. Many senior leaders, who are not MLAs, have either joined the BJP or are planning to do so in the near future. Two retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, Manoj Mishra and Nandu Prasad, too joined the BJP recently.

The BJP won 12 out of the state's 14 Lok Sabha seats in the recent elections.

Senior BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in Jharkhand Assembly, Arjun Munda said, "Many leaders of other parties are in touch with us. You will soon get to know about more MLAs joining the BJP. However, we are very cautions while inducting them. We hope people will give a strong mandate to us to be able to form a stable government in a state which has witnessed political instability ever since it was created in 2000."

Nirbhay Shahabadi, who deserted the JVM, said that Babulal Marandi was not taking everyone into confidence. He also said he had full faith in the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.