Babulal Marandi Faces Verdict on Jharkhand BJP Leadership
Jharkhand BJP leaders with Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Image credit X.com @babulalmarandi
Raghubar Das Hogs Limelight in Jharkhand BJP
By Amit Kumar
Ranchi, November 23: Jharkhand unit Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Babulal Marandi is nervously waiting for the people’s verdict in the Assembly elections. In the thick of election campaigning, the BJP had appointed Ravindra Rai as working executive president in admission that all is not good in the saffron ranks in Jharkhand.
Marandi had won from the Dhanwar Assembly seat in the 2019 state elections while leading his Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) (JVM) (P). He had defeated his nearest BJP rival with over 50000 votes.
But Marandi faced serious challenges in his Assembly seat amid a new crop of BJP rebels raising battle cries against official candidates. After hectic persuasions led by senior BJP leaders, Marandi’s path was cleared in the Dhanwar Assembly seat.
Also Read: Long Night in Jharkhand as Suspense Builds up Ahead of Counting
The BJP has given enough signs that Marandi is the chief ministerial candidate for the party in Jharkhand. Yet, former chief minister Raghubar Das remains the talk of the town in the state. His daughter-in-law, Purnima Sahu Das, is contesting elections from Jamshedpur East Assembly seat.
“If the BJP gets a clear majority and the party decides for a non-tribal face, then Raghubar Das can return to active politics. He can resign as the Governor of Odisha and ask his daughter-in-law to vacate the seat for him,” said a senior BJP functionary in Ranchi.
Also Read: BJP Hopes for RSS Magic in Maharashtra Muddle
The BJP already has two tribal chief ministers in Odisha and Chhattisgarh – Mohan Charan Majhi and Vishnu Deo Sai. “The Central BJP leadership is well aware that the party vote base in Jharkhand is largely the non-tribal electorate. Also, the BJP will have to consider the next year’s Assembly elections in Bihar while making a choice for the CM in Jharkhand,” said another senior BJP functionary in Ranchi.
Sources said that Marandi has faced challenges for his leadership within the party ranks. “Ravindra Rai was on the verge of quitting the BJP while the party leaders placated him by appointing for the post of working executive president which is unheard of when electioneering is almost in the last phase,” added the BJP functionary.
The BJP has played Hindutva card to wean away the tribal vote base of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). The JMM-led alliance had won 26 of the total 28 Assembly seats reserved for the scheduled tribes in Jharkhand. Also, the BJP lost from all the five reserved Lok Sabha seats.
Join the WhatsApp Channel of The Raisina Hills
About The Author
