This story is from May 17, 2016

Tribal leader Tala Marandi appointed Jharkhand BJP chief

BJP president Amit Shah on Tuesday appointed a low profile Santhal leader Tala Marandi, MLA from Borio assembly constituency in Sahebganj district, chief of party’s Jharkhand unit. Marandi replaced BJP MP Ravindra Rai who was at the help for around three years.
Tribal leader Tala Marandi appointed Jharkhand BJP chief
Tala Marandi
RANCHI: BJP president Amit Shah on Tuesday appointed a low profile Santhal leader Tala Marandi, MLA from Borio assembly constituency in Sahebganj district, chief of party’s Jharkhand unit. Marandi replaced BJP MP Ravindra Rai who was at the help for around three years.
The appointment came as a surprise to several BJP functionaries in the state who had expected the influential position to go to a leader of higher stature and wider popularity.

BJP spokesperson Pradeep Sinha said a fax with regard to the appointment of the new president was sent to party’s state headquarters from party national headquarters on Tuesday evening.
The ruling BJP is currently the largest political party in Jharkhand. Its new president will be expected to give it an organizational leadership and make the party more popular among the masses.
CM Raghubar Das, among the first top leaders to congratulate the newly appointed president, said party would reach new heights of success under his leadership.
Fifty-four-year old Marandi comes from Bada Itahiri village of Barijore police station area in Godda. His assembly constituency is situated between Godda and Sahebganj districts. A commerce graduate from Bhagalpur University, Marandi was a long-time social worker before he jumped into active politics.

Before coming into BJP, he was with Congress and had unsuccessfully contested 2000 assembly election on Congress ticket. He joined BJP in 2003 and in 2005 he was first elected MLA on BJP ticket and lost the seat in 2009. “He is the member of BJP executive committee,” said BJP MLA from Rajmahal (Sahebganj) Anant Ojha.
The change, a BJP leader said, was in the offing because Ravindra Rai had completed three years. There were some frontrunners for the powerful post and everyone was sure that the party will appoint a tribal for the post. “The appointment of a Santhal leader signals party’s decision to consolidate its base in Santhal Pargana,” a BJP leader said.
The rise of the low profile Santhal leader to BJP’s top organizational position in the state marks, a BJP leader said, the vibrant inter-party democracy the party has fostered and the high value party has for people who dedicate themselves to the party and the welfare of people.
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About the Author
Alok K N Mishra

Alok K N Mishra is a New Delhi-based journalist with the Times of India. He is an ardent follower of politics and is fascinated about making politics work better for the middle-class and the poor. He loves to discuss and predict national political behavior. Before shifting to Delhi, he covered political instability, governance, and misgovernance besides Maoists insurgency in Jharkhand for almost half a decade. He has been with the Times of India since 2010 when he started out as a municipal reporter in Patna. He tweets from the handle @AlokKNMishra

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