Axe is likely to fall on three senior State BJP leaders for their poor efforts to ensure party victory in two Lok Sabha constituencies and not getting adequate support in Khunti Lok Sabha segment. Laxman Gilua, the State BJP president and party candidate from Singhbhum Lok Sabha segment, former BJP president Tala Marandi and Neel Kanth Singh Munda MLA from Khunti and rural development minister in Raghubar Das’s Cabinet are in the line of fire.
The State BJP’s thumping victory in Lok Sabha elections has made BJP euphoric but the defeat of their State president from Singhbhum has left saffron party in self introspection as how the state president lost the election when there was Modi Tsunami blowing across the country.
The ruling NDA out of 14 Lok Sabha seats has won 12 seats with BJP winning 11 seats while one seat went to its ally partner AJSU party. Sources said that though the BJP leadership is excited with party performance they are in no mood to go to people in State Assembly elections under Gilua’s leadership.
A State BJP leader on condition of anonymity said, “The defeat of our State president from Singhbhum is shocking for us. We never expected that Gilua jee will lose the election at the time when BJP star campaigner and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had himself campaigned for him.”
The leader further said, “In such situation it will be difficult for us to go to voters in Assembly elections under the leadership of Gilua Jee.” Sources said that State BJP is unlikely to ask Gilua to quit his post as his tenure is till August this year. As per BJP constitution, a State president is appointed for a period of three years. In August 2016, Laxman Gilua was appointed as State president.
Gilua had won from West Singhbhum in the Lok Sabha polls of 2014, defeating Geeta Koda, wife of former Chief Minister Madhu Koda. He won by a handsome margin of over 87,000 votes. At that point, he was also BJP MLA from Chakradharpur.
Apart from Gilua, axe is likely to fall on former BJP president Tala Marandi as he has been alleged of not working sincerely in his Lok Sabha segment Rajmahal. Apart from Singhbhum, the BJP lost Rajmahal at the time when Saffron party had successfully made a dent in JMM stronghold by winning Dumka seat of Santhal Pargana.
BJP losing candidate Hemlal Murmu from Rajmahal has blamed Tala Marnadi for his defeat. Murmu said, “I lost the election as Tala Marandi did not cooperate with BJP cadre of his areas Boriyo. “
Apart from president and former president, the state BJP is also not happy with Neellkanth Singh Munda the Khunti MLA and minister in Raghubar Das’ Cabinet as he has been alleged of not cooperating fully with BJP cadres in Khunti Lok Sabha election. Though BJP candidate Arjun Munda won the election from Khunti with a slender margin of 1445 votes he had a face a herculean task in his victory. Despite Neelkanth Singh Munda being MLA from Khunti he was not able to draw votes from Khunti even from Khunti Assembly seat.
In Khunti, Arjun Munda was pitted against Congress Kalicharan Munda who is elder brother of Neelkanth Singh Munda.