RANCHI: The appointment of tribal leaders from Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh to two key positions within the Jharkhand BJP has raised questions about whether the party’s tribal leaders within the state have lost their political standing or the BJP has made these changes at the top organisational level to strengthen its grip on tribal politics in Jharkhand.
Pawan Kumar Sai has been appointed as the State Organisation General Secretary, and Gajendra Singh Patel as the State In-charge; both hail from the tribal community. Meanwhile, Babulal Marandi—one of the most prominent tribal faces of the Jharkhand BJP—already holds the role of LoP.
These two appointments come against the backdrop of the BJP’s recent electoral performance in Jharkhand’s tribal constituencies. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP lost all five Scheduled Tribe-reserved parliamentary seats in the state, with the JMM winning three and the Congress two.
According to political experts, Babulal Marandi contested from an unreserved seat; Arjun Munda lost the Khunti seat, and his wife lost the election in Potka. Madhu Koda’s wife, Geeta Koda, also lost her election. Consequently, the party high command has started feeling that state-level tribal leaders have lost their own foothold among the tribal community, and hence, tribal leaders from outside have been roped in to do the needful.
Against this backdrop, the induction of tribal leaders from outside Jharkhand into key organisational roles is being viewed by political observers as part of the BJP’s effort to strengthen its outreach among tribal communities. Some observers argue that the move reflects the party high command’s assessment that its existing tribal leadership in the state needs stronger organisational support and a renewed connect with the tribal electorate.
In the last assembly elections too, the BJP failed to secure a single seat in tribal areas.
The only victory on an ST-reserved seat was achieved by Champai Soren—a win in which the BJP played no role. Consequently, the party’s top leadership has realised that relying on the existing setup will not yield results.
A BJP leader said the two newly appointed leaders are expected to help build a new generation of tribal leadership.
