Marandi resigns, BJP asks him to hang on
CONTROVERSIAL Told to continue till Aug 23, successor may be Louis Marandi
RANCHI: Jharkhand BJP chief Tala Marandi resigned on Wednesday after the party high command in New Delhi summoned him for his alleged arbitrary decisions and controversial remarks.
The leadership, however, asked him to continue in the post till August 23, sources said.
Marandi said he quit on “moral grounds”, but refused to give details about what made him resign in just three months since his elevation to the important post.
His tenure has been dotted with controversies, the most recent being his decision to form a new committee of party officebearers. The decision upset the high command and senior leaders as he allegedly named the panel members — all political greenhorns —without consulting the leadership.
He landed in trouble soon after taking charge when a tribal girl accused his son, Munna, of sexual exploitation. Marandi got his son married within a month, but school records showed the bride was 11 years old.
On Monday, another controversy engulfed him when he said the tenancy ordinance moved by the BJP government was not in favour of the tribal community and may lead to their extinction in Jharkhand.
The ordinance allows acquisition of tribal cropland for nonagricultural purposes.
His remarks embarrassed the party, as the opposition Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) was already accusing the BJP of being “anti-tribal” because of the ordinance.
Marandi met party chief Amit Shah and state in-charge Trivendra Rawat on Wednesday in New Delhi before filing his resignation. Speculation swirled that Marandi would be sacked after chief minister Raghubar Das met Rawat in the national capital the day before.
Marandi’s resignation strengthened the JMM’s attack against the ruling party.
“He faced repercussion because of speaking against the tenancy ordinance moved by the BJP government,” JMM acting president Hemant Soren said.
The BJP in Jharkhand is looking for a tribal face, preferably from the JMM bastion of Santhal Pargana, to replace Marandi.
State welfare minister Louis Marandi is a leading contender. Louis comes from the Santhal region and is the Dumka legislator. The BJP’s push to have a Santhali leader as the state party chief had a hand in Marandi’s appointment in May.
The party would not risk appointing a non-tribal chief as it might aggravate tribal outrage against amendments to the tenancy law, said political expert VP Sharan. “They would also make sure the person is from Santhal Pargana. Appointing a leader from any other region may further strengthen the JMM’s hold in the region, which the BJP doesn’t want … Louis would also help the BJP get Christian support.”