PATNA: Dilip Kumar Jaiswal, former Bihar minister and senior BJP leader, has been renominated as the state president of the BJP ahead of the assembly elections due in October-November this year.
Jaiswal had resigned from the post of revenue and land reforms department minister before the cabinet expansion.
Jaiswal was elected as the state BJP chief at a meeting of the state council held in the capital on Tuesday. The announcement was made by Bihar BJP council in-charge Manohar Lal Khattar.
On Monday, Jaiswal had filed his nomination for the post before Election Officer and BJP state general secretary Rajesh Verma.
Jaiswal was earlier asked by the party’s central leadership to resign from the council of ministers under the ‘one person, one post’ principle. He was inducted into the Nitish Kumar cabinet in January last year.
His resignation from the minister’s post paved the way for his re-election as state BJP chief at a time when Bihar is preparing for assembly polls.
“Party leadership has given greater responsibility to me. I will try my level best to meet the expectations of the top leadership, who have placed their faith in me. I am thankful to them,” Jaiswal said soon after his renomination was announced. His tenure as state BJP chief will be for three years.
Union Energy Minister Manohar Lal Khattar was appointed as the chief observer of the event. Besides him, Bihar BJP in-charge Vinod Tawde, co-in-charge Deepak Prakash, ministers from Bihar and the central government, BJP state officials, district presidents, block presidents, and others attended the state council meeting.
Over 6,000 members, including divisional presidents, state officials, and working committee members, were present at the meeting, which, among other things, discussed the party’s strategy for the upcoming assembly elections. The state council meeting was held immediately after the cabinet expansion, signalling the BJP’s aggressive election preparations.
Jaiswal had previously held dual responsibilities as both the state president and a minister in the Nitish cabinet. He replaced Samrat Chaudhary as state BJP chief after Chaudhary was elevated to deputy chief minister in the NDA government led by Nitish Kumar. Nitish had formed the government with the BJP’s support in January 2024 after breaking ties with the Grand Alliance.
A senior BJP leader said Jaiswal’s role would be crucial as the assembly elections approach. “He has to keep alliance partners in good humour so that the NDA can achieve its target of winning 225 seats in the assembly polls.” The NDA alliance in Bihar consists of the BJP, JD(U), HAM, and RLM.