Patna: Six MLAs belonging to the Congress and other regional parties in Jharkhand joined the BJP on Wednesday.

The political development is being seen as a major boost to the saffron party, which has been making an effort to retain power in Jharkhand for a second term. All the six legislators were inducted into the BJP in the presence of chief minister Raghubar Das.

Sources claim that legislators who joined the BJP are likely to be fielded from their sitting constituencies during the Assembly poll, which is to be held later this year. Among the six MLAs who joined BJP on Wednesday three are from Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and two from the Congress. One independent legislator also joined the saffron brigade along with others.

JMM legislators who have joined the BJP include Kunal Sarangi, Jai Prakash Bhai Patel and Chamra Linda. Two Congress MLAs who switched sides are former state president Sukhdeo Bhagat and veteran leader Manoj Yadav.

Several retired bureaucrats including former Director General of Police (DGP) D.K. Pandey and former IPS officer and Congress leader Arun Oraon were also among those who were inducted into the BJP.

Both Sukhdeo Bhagat and Manoj Yadav had contested Lok Sabha polls earlier this year but were defeated by BJP candidates. Sources said that Mr Bhagat took the decision to quit the Congress due to his political differences with party’s state president Rameshwar Oraon whom he has been holding responsible for his defeat in the Lok Sabha polls.

Mr Das while welcoming the legislators said that a new “political culture” had emerged under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah and “those who are against the politics of vote bank and dynasty have left the Congress and JMM and joined the BJP”.

The BJP in alliance with the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) had won 42 seats (BJP-37 and AJSU- 5) in the 2014 assembly elections. However, the strength went up 48 after six Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) legislators joined the BJP in February 2015.