Raghuvar Das meets BJP Chief Amit Shah ahead of swearing-in as Chief Minister

NEW DELHI: Ahead of his swearing-in as Jharkhand Chief Minister tomorrow, Raghuvar Das met BJP President Amit Shah here today and discussed with him government formation in the state. The 59-year-old BJP leader, a national vice-president of the party who will be the first non-tribal Chief Minister of the state, drove to Shah's residence and held discussions with him.

"I had a positive discussion with the party president. I discussed government formation and will work according to the party's directions," he told reporters after meeting Shah. The meeting assumes significance as Chief Minister- designate Das, a five-time MLA, will have to do a fine balancing act to ensure that tribals, who are the largest community in the state, get adequate representation.

He was yesterday elected leader of the BJP's legislature party in a meeting of the newly-elected party MLAs. This is the first time BJP along with its pre-poll ally has got an absolute majority in 81-member state Assembly. While BJP has 37 members, its ally AJSU has five, taking their total tally to 42.

Das, who joined BJP as a simple worker and gradually rose through its ranks, became a minister for the first time after the creation of Jharkhand in the Babulal Marandi government and got berths in the subsequent two governments led by Arjun Munda before becoming the deputy chief minister in the Shibu Soren-led government in 2009.