MLA Sita Soren, sister-in-law of ex-Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, joins BJP

Sita Soren, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MLA and the sister-in-law of former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren resigned from all party posts on Tuesday (Mar 19). She is the daughter-in-law of party supremo Shibu Soren.

She has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in a major blow to JMM and praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his development programmes. Sita said she is becoming a part of "Modi's Parivaar" to save the state and ensure justice for its people.

Sita, the wife of Durga Soren, also claimed that she was being neglected in JMM and was isolated.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

The three-term MLA joined the BJP in the presence of its national general secretary Vinod Tawde and Jharkhand poll in-charge Laxmikant Bajpai at its headquarters.

Her decision to join the BJP will be a massive boost to the party as it is vying to connect with the Scheduled Tribes, a community which has been the main vote base of the JMM.

Recently, it emerged that Sita opposed any move to make Hemant Soren's wife Kalpana Soren replace him as chief minister after he was arrested in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam.

This apparently led to a major dispute between her and Hemant.

Watch:Former CM Sadananda Gowda may quit BJP, says 'BJP not a party with a difference'

She addressed her resignation letter to Shibu Soren, saying that following the demise of her husband, the party failed to provide adequate support to her and her family.

"The tireless efforts of Shri Shibu Soren, who worked hard to keep us all together, unfortunately, also failed. I have become aware of a conspiracy being orchestrated against me and my family... I am left with no choice but to tender my resignation," she said in the letter.

(With inputs from agencies)