PATNA: Amid a slanging match between Bihar and Maharashtra over the circumstances leading to the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership is learnt to have decided to make former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis the election incharge of Bihar.
Fadnavis’s image among the people of Bihar has been enhanced after his persistent demand for a CBI probe into Rajput’s death.
The buzz in Patna is that Fadnavis would also conduct election programmes along with BJP state in-charge Bhupender Yadav and other senior party office-bearers.
"He has already begun his work and will play an active role. A formal announcement regarding his responsibility may be made later by party president J P Nadda," a BJP source said.
Sources said the former Maharashtra CM had also attended the BJP core committee meeting late on Thursday wherein party strategies for the upcoming state polls were discussed and he was in principle asked to be ready to carry on the new assignment.
The development acquires importance as two BJP allies, Chirag Paswan-headed Lok Janshakti Party and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United), have been at loggerheads in the state.
The LJP has conveyed to the BJP leadership, the sources said, its uneasiness about the manner in which the issues raised by it have been dealt with.
Chirag Paswan had recently met Nadda and spoken about a host of issues, they said.
The BJP has been playing a balancing role between its two partners.
It has already announced that Kumar will be the NDA's chief ministerial candidate.
BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav has so far been the main pointsman of the party for Bihar affairs.
He is also the BJP in-charge for the state.
Bihar political circles link Fadnavis’ emerging prospects to the Sushant Singh Rajput death controversy.
“Since Fadnavis has been very vocal for a CBI probe into Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, so Bihar BJP can hope to draw some political mileages in the upcoming polls,” said a senior BJP leader.
Another senior BJP leader CP Thakur said Fadnavis would prove helpful to the party. BJP’s new entrant Ramkripal Yadav said: “Fadnavis is a good leader. He has done a great job in Maharashtra and if he is made the election in-charge, we can expect far better results in the polls.”
Party sources said Fadnavis may be made the Bihar election in-charge once the Election Commission announces the schedule.
The BJP has a practice of entrusting its key leaders with the responsibility of handling state elections.
Yadav was the party's in-charge for Maharashtra assembly polls last year.
Late BJP leader Ananth Kumar was the party's in-charge for the Bihar assembly polls in 2015.
(With PTI Inputs)