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The Rediff Special/Babu Lal Marandi: A profile

Giant-killer will be Jharkhand CM

Jharkhand's first chief minister is among the few tribal Bharatiya Janata Party leaders with a hardcore Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh background.

Considering his background, it is no surprise that the BJP preferred him to the much more seasoned Karia Munda for the top slot. Though the BJP cannot ignore the contribution of the latter, among the few tribals in the Jan Sangh in the 1960s, in popularising the party among tribals, Marandi's contribution to expanding the party's base in the last ten years cannot be wished away either.

Born in remote Kodia Bandh village under Tisri block of Giridih district, forty-two year old Babu Lal Marandi's meteoric rise in state and national politics surprised many, not only in the BJP but even outside.

Eldest of the three sons and two daughters of Chotu Marandi, a simple farmer, Babu Lal got his primary education from the local village school. He went to a nearby village to complete middle and high school.

After passing high school (securing second class), he moved to Giridih College from where he did his intermediate and graduation. It was there that he came in contact with the RSS.

Later, he moved to Ranchi where he did his post-graduation in Geography from Ranchi University.

He worked as a teacher in a village primary school for a year before giving up the job to work for the Sangh Parivar. He was made the organising secretary of the Vananchal (BJP refers to Jharkhand region by this name) Vishwa Hindu Parishad.

In 1983, he moved to Dumka and worked in the Santhal Parganas division, which he toured extensively. In those days, he used to live in the RSS office in Dumka.

In 1991, the BJP gave him the ticket to contest from the Dumka (reserved) Lok Sabha seat, but lost. In 1996, he lost to Shibu Soren by just 5,000 odd votes. The BJP, in the meantime, made him president of the party's Jharkhand unit.

It was under Marandi's leadership that the party won 12 out of 14 Lok Sabha seats in Jharkhand region in the 1998 election. Marandi, a Santhal, led the tally by defeating Jharkhand Mukti Morcha supremo Shibu Soren, another Santhal.

The victory gave an immense boost to Marandi's profile and he was included in the Union Council of Ministers, one of four ministers from Bihar.

The seasoned Karia Munda, Cabinet minister in the 13-day Atal Bihari Vajpayee government of 1996 and a minister in the Morarji Desai ministry in 1977, was ignored after Marandi emerged as a giant killer.

In 1999, Marandi retained the Dumka seat defeating Soren's wife Rupi Soren by a slender margin of 5,000 votes. Rupi owes her defeat to Congress candidate Ramesh Hembrom who took a large chunk of the non-BJP votes.

Marandi's wife Shanti Murmu is a homemaker and barely literate. They have two high school going sons. Marandi is a vegetarian.

Party insiders say the BJP central leadership chose Marandi as he is young, dynamic, pragmatic and more acceptable to non-tribals who in fact call the shots in the party.

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The Rediff Specials

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