New Delhi: After losing Jharkhand to the JMM-Congress-RJD alliance under Raghubar Das leadership and left with an unenthused cadre in the state, the BJP central leadership has finally decided to fine-tune the caste factor in the state unit and implement the "bottom up approach," atleast for the party's next state unit chief.
The party, which experimented with giving the tribal dominated state its first non-tribal chief minister in Mr Das, now wants proper representation of tribals and non-tribals in the organisation and also wants its cadre to "evaluate" and decide the next state unit chief from shortlisted candidates.
While speculation is rife that prominent tribal face and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) chief Babulal Marandi, who is expected to merge his outfit with the BJP, his former party, will be the BJP's face in the state assembly, the party leadership "after due consultation from the cadre has shortlisted candidates for the post — three from the general category and two from Other Backward Caste(OBC). The central leadership wants the party cadre to decide the next state unit chief.
However, those close to Mr Das - under whose leadership the party lost the state — are still hoping that the former chief minister will get a important position in the state organisation. The current state unit chief Laxman Gilua, considered close to Mr Das, lost his assembly seat just like many senior saffron party leader, including Mr Das and had tendered his resignation from the post.
“Yes, Babulal Marandi is joining the BJP as both need each other. If both parties had forged a pre-poll alliance, it would had helped both.....a section still wants Mr Das to lead the party in the state but not just the party cadre even the public gave its opinion on his leadership in the polls," said a state BJP leader.
Jharkhand Assembly polls results were a major embarassment for the BJP.
