RANCHI: After weeks of delay, the decks have finally been cleared for Babulal Marandi to assume the role of Leader of Opposition in the Jharkhand Assembly. Marandi, the state BJP president, was elected as the legislative party leader at the BJP headquarters in Ranchi on Thursday in the presence of central observers appointed by the party’s top leadership. BJP MLAs congratulated Marandi on his election, paving the way for him to formally take on the responsibility in the Assembly soon. The BJP Parliamentary Board had earlier appointed Union Forest and Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav and OBC Morcha National President and MP Dr K. Laxman as central observers to oversee the selection process. Marandi has been a prominent figure in Jharkhand politics since the state’s formation in 2000. He was the first Chief Minister of Jharkhand and was elected as an MP from the Koderma Lok Sabha seat in 1998. After stepping down as Chief Minister, he left the BJP in 2006 and founded his own party, the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik). However, he rejoined the BJP in 2020 and was appointed the party’s state president. Given his strong influence and vast experience, the BJP has now chosen him to lead the legislative party. The decision to elect Marandi comes after a directive from the Supreme Court on 5 January, which ordered the BJP to appoint a Leader of Opposition within a week and inform the court. The deadline was 12 January, but the party failed to comply for over a month and a half, finally electing its leader on Thursday. This is not the first time Marandi has been chosen for the role. In the previous Assembly, he was also elected as Leader of Opposition, but the Speaker refused to recognise him due to allegations of defection. As a result, despite the BJP electing him for the post in October 2023, the Jharkhand Assembly remained without a Leader of Opposition for over four years. The issue stemmed from the uncertainty surrounding the merger of the JVM (P) with the BJP. Eventually, after five years, Amar Kumar Bauri was appointed as Leader of Opposition. With Marandi’s election now formalised, he is expected to take charge of the opposition leadership in the Assembly soon.
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