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Jharkhand Chief Minister Babulal Marandi's inability to make the Bharatiya Janata Party retain the Dumka parliamentary seat and several complaints against his leadership to the central party leadership has triggered a search for his replacement.
Sources told rediff that the BJP leadership, particularly Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani, is "upset" with the chief minister for his inability to retain the Dumka Lok Sabha seat.
Marandi held the seat before relinquishing it to be sworn in as Jharkhand chief minister.
"He (Marandi) had repeatedly assured the central leadership (read Advani) that he would ensure Dumka's retention by the BJP."
However, the central BJP leadership was convinced the chief minister's claims about his clout among the state's tribals was hot air after Shibu Soren of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha won the Dumka seat.
Marandi has also fallen out of favour for his inability to contain the tribal agitation on the domicile issue which the party leadership perceived as a potential political threat.
Consequently, Advani has approved of suggestions within the BJP to search for a possible replacement for Marandi.
Another tribal stalwart, Karia Munda, who had earlier thrown a serious challenge to Marandi from within the BJP, was denied the chief ministership because of his personal loyalty to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
"Karia Munda, the BJP MP from Khunti in Jharkhand, lost out in the race to Marandi and as a consolation prize was accommodated in the government as a minister," sources said.
One candidate "actively" considered as a replacement for Marandi was the BJP's MP from Ranchi, Ram Tahal Choudhary. However, Advani wants a "more active" candidate for the chief minister's office, sources said, adding that the central BJP leadership would be forced to continue with Marandi for some time till a suitable replacement is found.
External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha, the BJP MP from Hazaribagh, is another leader who could assume the chief minister's mantle. But he has categorically told the prime minister he is only interested in politics at the central level, the sources pointed out.
The BJP leadership's anxiety to find a new chief minister for Jharkhand comes as the Congress positions itself to give a tough fight in next year's assembly election.
Sources pointed out that the BJP leadership is worried that the Congress will fight the polls chiefly on the issue of the Jharkhand government's "non-performance."
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