Ranchi, Oct. 30 -- Ahead of the Ghatshila Assembly by-election, several senior BJP leaders and office-bearers from East Singhbhum district joined the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)today.

Among those who switched sides were East Singhbhum Zilla Parishad Vice-Chairman Pankaj Sinha, former BJP district president (rural) and state executive member Saurabh Chakraborty, Ghatshila BJP Mandal president Kaushik Sinha, former Musabani Mandal president Tushar Patra, BJP media in-charge Suresh Mahali, and Jamshedpur's Jambu Akhara president Bunty Singh.

They formally joined the JMM in the presence of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who welcomed them into the party fold.

JMM central spokesperson and former MLA Kunal Sarangi, along with Zilla Parishad Chai...