Jharkhand BJP chief again courts controversy

Jharkhand BJP President Tala Marandi seems to have again rubbed his party's central and state leaders the wrong way, this time by his opposition to an ordinance and announcement regarding his team in the state party unit.

Both Marandi and Chief Minister Raghubar Das were summoned to Delhi by the central BJP leadership on Tuesday, where they met party president Amit Shah, apart from other party leaders.

"The party's image has suffered a huge blow due to Tala Marandi. He has failed to work in coordination with the Chief Minister and win the hearts of party leaders. The central leaders are unhappy with Marandi. His new team may be dissolved and he could also be replaced," a senior BJP leader told IANS.

Marandi, a tribal leader, was earlier in the news after his son Munna Marandi allegedly married a minor girl in June.

Munna was also accused by a tribal girl of sexual exploitation, following which the girl with whom his marriage was fixed refused to tie the knot with Munna.

Tala Marandi, who was appointed the BJP state unit chief as a counterbalance to Raghubar Das' appointment as the non-tribal Chief Minister of Jharkhand, is said to have miffed the central party leadership with his working style.

Marandi has opposed the state government's decision to amend the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act and Santhala Pargana Tenancy Act to facilitate land acquisition for certain development projects. The state government has sent an ordinance to this effect to the President of India for approval.

These Acts were originally formulated to protect the land rights of the tribals and local residents.

Marandi had said: "The ordinance was brought in a hurry. There is no need to amend the land Acts. If the proposed changes are made, the identity of the tribals and moolvasis will come under threat. I do not think development is hampered by both the Acts."

Deep resentment is said to prevail in the Jharkhand BJP after Marandi announced his team on Sunday. Four BJP leaders appointed to key posts resigned, including Meera Munda, who is the wife of former Chief Minister Arjun Munda, as state unit vice-president and Ajay Nath Sahdeo as secretary.

--IANS

ns/in/tsb/bg