A former Maoist leader and the wife of an arrested rebel Friday joined the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and will be fielded by the party in the five-phase assembly poll beginning Nov 25.

Shobha Pal, wife of jailed Maoist leader Jeeval Pal who faces serious charges of murder and attacking a police squad, and former Maoist Satish Sah, who is at present on bail, joined the JMM in presence of party chief Shibu Soren in Jharkhand's Palamau district.

Soren assured both that they would get the party ticket to contest the coming poll.

The JMM, which has a marginal presence in Palamau region is associating with Maoist leaders to fight the elections. In the general elections earlier this year, it had fielded Maoist leader Kameshwar Baitha from the Palamau constituency.

Baitha, who is in jail and faces more than 14 criminal charges including murder, won the seat.

'What is wrong if they (Maoists) want to join politics and become a part of the mainstream of society by shunning violence?' said a JMM leader when asked about the party's move to associate with Maoist leaders.

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