Ex-Jharkhand MLA Umashankar Akela rejoins Congress

Former Jharkhand legislator Uma Shankar Akela rejoined the Congress on Thursday.

Akela joined the party in the presence of Jharkhand Congress president Keshav Mahto Kamlesh and other senior leaders, including legislature party leader Pradeep Yadav, at the party headquarters in Ranchi.

''It is a good occasion for all of us that our former party member has made a 'ghar-wapsi'. We welcome him to the party. The party will get strength in North Chotanagpur after his joining,'' Kamlesh said. Akela had won the 2019 Jharkhand assembly polls on a Congress ticket from the Barhi constituency. But, the party allegedly denied him a ticket in the 2024 Jharkhand assembly polls. He, then, joined the Samajwadi party ahead of the assembly polls. Akela contested from Barhi constituency in the 2024 assembly polls but came third with 23,629 votes. After rejoining the Congress, Akela said, ''I had, then, made the remark about money in Congress in a fit of anger. I have already taken my words back. There is no money game in Congress.'' The former MLA said he would be working to strengthen the party in north Chotanagpur and ensure the party get maximum seats from the region in the 2029 assembly polls.