The man who had thwarted the attempts by the RJD workers who were hell bent on stopping the Rath of lal Krishna Advani from reaching the Mahatma Gandhi Setu and entering Patna from Hajipur in 1990 has been appointed the new president of Bihar BJP.
Nityanand Rai, the MP from Ujiarpur and four times MlA of Hajipur has replaced Mangal Pandey who completed his three years term and one year extension. But the party high command by appointing him was not guided by the State party leaders’ suggestion. A combative Rai, Yadav by caste, had been in different branches of the party for about three decades.
A senior BJP leader said that in 1990 then Chief Minister lalu Prasad had vowed not to permit entry of Advani’s rath in Patna and the Yadavs of the Vaishali district came out in strength to stop the rath before it reached the Ganga bridge. But the BJP worker Nityanand Rai, having clout among his caste, called his supporters who also came in large number and ensured the smooth sailing of the rath.
“Unlike previous occasions the BJP high command did not give much weight to the recommendations by the state unit. The decision has clipped the wings of some top leaders of Bihar BJP,” said a senior BJP leader. Out5going president Mangal Pandey was personal choice of former Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi. Other previous State BJP presidents had been appointed at the suggestion of Bihar leaders. This is the first selection of Bihar president by the present central leadership of the BJP.
There had been speculations about the new president and names of several leaders including Union Minister of State Giriraj Singh were making round.
It is commonly believed that the central leadership seriously took caste consideration before making new appointment. The BJP has given much weight to the backward castes in making appointments. Prem Kumar, an EBC had been made leader of opposition in Bihar Assembly last year.
Welcoming the appointment of Rai, Sushil Modi said he had been associated with students’ wing of the party as well as RSS and fulfilled his duties in the organization. Modi also hailed the performance of the outgoing president Mangal Pandey. Senior BJP leader Nand Kishore Yadav said the party under the dynamic leadership of Rai will touch new heights. Pandey congratulated the high command for Rai’s elevation.