State BJP general secretary Deepak Prakash, designated to become the new State president, will take charge on March 4 at a grand function in BJP office. Senior BJP leaders including former Chief Minister Raghubar Das, BJP legislative party leader Babulal Marandi, Union tribal affairs minister Arjun Munda, outgoing president Laxman Gilua and others will be present at the function where Prakash will take charge as new State president.
BJP State general secretary and Rajmahal MLA Anant Ojha said, “Apart from senior leaders, former Ministers MLAs and MPs will be present at the function.” Ojha said that for making the function a grand affair the BJP has started preparation. On February 25, the central leadership of the BJP promoted state general secretary Deepak Prakash as Jharkhand president of the party in what was seen as an attempt to win back the upper-caste votes.
Prakash enjoys a close relationship with JP Nadda right from the time the BJP national president’s father, NL Nadda, was vice-chancellor of Ranchi University from August 1978 to April 1980.
Prakash, apart from Nadda is also close to BJP legislative party leader Babulal Marandi, who became BJP legislative party leader on Monday. Sources said that his closeness with Marandi can be gauged from the fact that when the talks of Marandi planning to merge his party JVM with BJP started he was one of the few leaders in BJP who had information, but he kept the entire development a secret.
The appointment of Prakash also assumes importance as he eclipsed many leaders, who were in fray of becoming state president. Leaders such as BJP Rajmahal Anant Ojha, Chatra MP Sunil Singh, former state president Ravindra Rai and Rajya Sabha MP Samir Oroan were in fray for State president’s post.
The previous Jharkhand BJP president, Laxman Giluwa, who resigned after the Assembly election debacle, was considered close to Das.