Raghubar Das won’t return to mainstream politics of Jharkhand: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey

Ever since Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is co-incharge of Jharkhand election, met Das, speculation has started over the former Jharkhand Chief Minister contesting the Assembly election

Bharatiya Janata Party’s Godda MP Nishikant Dubey rejected the speculation over Odisha Governor Raghubar Das returning to mainstream politics in Jharkhand. Ever since Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is also the co-incharge of Jharkhand election, met Mr. Das, speculation has started over the former Jharkhand Chief Minister contesting the Assembly election.

Mr. Dubey posted a message on social media platform ‘X’ on Monday (September 30, 2024) asserting that Mr. Das would keep guiding the new BJP government in Odisha. He also cleared the speculation over Janata Dal (United) leader Saryu Roy contesting the Assembly election from Jamshedpur East.

On September 27, after the meeting between Mr. Sarma and Mr. Das at the Rajbhavan in Bhubaneswar, talks started in the political corridor that Mr. Das wanted to contest elections from his traditional Jamshedpur East seat which he had won five times until rebel BJP leader Mr. Roy defeated the incumbent Chief Minister in the last Assembly election as an independent candidate.

It is believed that Mr. Das was not in favour of giving Jamshedpur East seat to Mr. Roy and he has been camping in Delhi from September 28 itself.

“There is no confusion in the BJP, as the central leadership has appointed Raghubar Ji as Governor of Odisha. For the first time we have our own government in Odisha. Raghubar Ji has lot of experience of being Minister, Chief Minister, State president of the party. Hence he will keep guiding the new government in Odisha,” Mr. Dubey said in the post.

He said, “As far as Saryu Roy Ji is concerned, now he is in JD(U). Whatever decision the leadership of both the parties take under the alliance will be final. Such speculation is an attempt to divert attention from corruption in Hemant Soren’s government.”

In 2023, Mr. Das, a BJP leader was elevated to the post of Governor to give a safe passage for Babulal Marandi as Jharkhand BJP president. Many BJP leaders off the record had accepted that Mr. Das was not keen to become Governor and had accepted the post reluctantly.

Old rivalry

There is an old rivalry between Mr. Das, the first non-tribal Chief Minister of Jharkhand, and Mr. Roy. When Mr. Das was Chief Minister, Mr. Roy, a Cabinet colleague, seldom used to attend the Cabinet meeting.

In July 2024, Mr. Roy had lodged an FIR pertaining to irregularities in awarding contract to the Meinhardt Consultancy for preparing the detailed project report (DPR) to set up sewerage and drainage system in Ranchi in 2005. Mr. Das was then State Urban Development Minister when the Singapore-based firm was given the contract.

Mr. Roy, who joined the JD(U) two months ago, is keen on contesting election from the same seat and he had said this during the talk with The Hindu in August 2024. Jamshedpur East seat is the stronghold of the BJP since 1995 and giving this seat to the JD (U) would be a big jolt for the party.

There is a possibility to shift Mr. Roy to the Jamshedpur West Assembly constituency which he has represented twice as a BJP candidate in 2005 and 2014.

Published - October 01, 2024 07:08 pm IST