BJP names Ravindra Ray as Jharkhand chief in move to control damage

Ranchi: The BJP on Saturday appointed Ravindra Ray as state working president of Jharkhand BJP. Ray was earlier BJP Jharkhand president and an MP from Koderma Lok Sabha. The appointment in the middle of the election campaign is being seen as a damage-control exercise. Sources tell ET that Ray was unhappy with the party for quite some time. In the recent assembly election, he was demanding a ticket from Dhanwar seat, which is currently being contested by state BJP president Babulal Marandi. On the day of the ticket announcement, Ray expressed his anger to the party leaders. Later BJP Jharkhand election in-charge Shivraj Singh Chouhan and co-incharge Himanta Biswa Sarma visited Ray at his house in Ranchi to convince him to work for the party.

However, two days later the buzz was that Ray, like a few other disgruntled BJP leaders, could join the JMM. However, Ray denied such news and said that this was being spread by the JMM as he never intended to leave the BJP.

After his appointment on Saturday, Ray was part of the BJP state meetings at the party office in Ranchi.


Sources tell ET that the BJP is working hard to manage all the rebellion against the party candidate and persuading rebels to withdraw their nomination. Sarma and former BJP Jharkhand president Deepak Prakash are personally visiting all the disgruntled leaders to iron out differences within the party.