Wednesday, March 16 2005 15:17 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Ranchi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Jharkhand today (Mar 16, 2005) claimed that the State unit of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had merged with it, but a section of the NCP, following its national leadership's dictates, said they would move court against what they termed as an "illegal merger".

"The NCP State unit, led by its president Dhruv Bhagat, today merged with the BJP at our party office. We have welcomed them," BJP State president Raghuvar Das, told newsmen in presence of Bhagat.

In reply to a question, Das said that lone NCP legislator Kamlesh Singh was among those who joined the BJP.

Bhagat said, "We are merging with the BJP in the presence of Raghuvar Das."

Meanwhile, when contacted, NCP spokesman Lal Babu Singh Patel said when the national leadership dissolved the State executive committee on March 11, Bhagat was automatically removed from the president's post.

"So Bhagat's claim of NCP's merger with BJP today is untenable. I have also spoken to our national general secretary Tariq Anwar who said he would move the court and pursue with the anti-defection law against Kamlesh Singh if he also sided with the Bhagat," Patel said.

The merger today assumes significance in view of Kamlesh Singh's name having been announced as a minister in the Arjun Munda Government.

Singh, who had earlier taken oath as a Minister in the Shibu Soren Government, however, did not turn up for the swearing in of the Arjun Munda's Council of Minister. Singh has also not yet taken oath as a member of the Assembly.