Party leaders believe that the nomination of former Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das as governor of Odisha could resolve a leadership dispute in favour of Jharkhand BJP unit chairman Babulal Marandi. Despite losing his post in 2019, Das—the only non-tribal chief minister in a state with a sizable tribal population—maintained his influence within the state assembly. It is anticipated that Marandi will be crucial to the party’s 2024 resurgence. There are now doubts about Das’s political prospects following his appointment.
Raghubar Das new governor of Odisha
RANCHI: Former chief minister of Jharkhand Raghubar Das’s nomination as the governor of Odisha late on Wednesday may assist resolve the leadership dispute in favour of Babulal Marandi, head of the Jharkhand Bharatiya Janata Party unit, party sources said on Thursday.
In a state where nearly 26% of the population is tribal, Das is the only non-tribal chief minister. He was an unexpected choice to lead the state in 2014. In the Jharkhand elections of 2019, he headed the BJP, however the group was unable to win a majority. Jharkhand’s Hemant Soren Mukti Morcha emerged as the state’s chief minister, while Raghubar Das, who had not won the Jamshedpur East assembly seat since 1995, returned to his role as national vice president of the BJP, the one he held prior to being promoted to chief minister in 2014.
However, Raghubar Das remained involved in the management of the Jharkhand BJP unit under the leadership of Babulal Marandi, the state unit chief of the party. In May 2019, Arjun Munda, a former chief minister and significant figure in state politics, was appointed as the minister for tribal affairs to the Union council of ministers.
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When Marandi rejoined the BJP shortly after the 2019 elections, it was evident that he would play a significant role in the organisation. A BJP spokesperson clarified, “He was appointed legislature party leader.” Marandi was appointed by the BJP in July of this year to head the state unit and lay the foundation for the party’s return to power in the state in 2024.
But according to the BJP leader mentioned before, Raghubar Das had been hesitant to retreat. A top BJP leader declared, “With this new appointment, the central leadership has settled the leadership issue in the state for now.” For the time being.
Amar Bauri, a former minister and the head of the BJP’s scheduled caste branch in the state, was named the new leader of the BJP legislature party earlier this week, and a second BJP leader emphasised that Raghubar Das was instrumental in making that happen.
During the July meetings led by central observer Ashwani Chowbey, a significant number of party legislators supported Amar Bauri because of the former chief minister’s influence. Additionally, Bauri from Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) was introduced to the BJP in 2014 by Raghubar ji, who also appointed him to his cabinet. He is regarded as one of his supporters,” the leader continued.
In this context, the BKP was targeted by the state’s ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and the Congress.
It is ironic, according to Jharkhand Congress spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan Prasad, that the BJP had praised Raghubar Das’s time as chief minister. “It is a BJP internal matter. However, it appears that the BJP, which had been boasting about the purported accomplishments of its two-engine government, has finally grasped the reality.
Minister for drinking water and sanitation and senior JMM politician Mithilesh Thakur questioned whether Raghubar Das had advanced in position or lost ground. “The political career of the BJP’s sole acceptable OBC face in the state has come to an end. It’s difficult to understand whether this is a promotion or a downgrade, Thakur wrote on social media.
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