RanchiOctober 4, 2025 07:05 AM IST
First published on: Oct 4, 2025 at 07:05 AM IST
The BJP has appointed Rajya Sabha MP Aditya Prasad Sahu its new working president in Jharkhand, replacing Ravindra Rai, who had been appointed to the post last October ahead of the Assembly elections in the state.
Welcoming Sahu at the BJP office in Ranchi on Friday, state BJP president Babulal Marandi said, “He brings extensive political and parliamentary experience, and his abilities will greatly benefit the party. His leadership will strengthen the BJP in Jharkhand. I congratulate him on this new responsibility and wish him success.”
“I will work to build a ‘Sarv Sparshi, Sarv Samaveshi (reaching out to all, and inclusive)’ organisation. I will also work to expose the failures of the state government and strive to establish a double-engine BJP government in Jharkhand. I am grateful to the Central and state leadership for trusting me and to all party workers and well-wishers for their support,” said Sahu.
With state BJP chief Babulal Marandi from the Adivasi community, Sahu, who is from the Other Backward Class (OBC), was chosen as the working president. Among the names that had surfaced during internal deliberations were Raghubar Das, another OBC leader seen as the frontrunner-along with Pradeep Verma and Sahu. With Sahu chosen over Das, according to party insiders, it could clear the way for the former CM to make a play for the state unit president’s post in the future.
Asked if Das had been sidelined with his appointment, state BJP spokesperson Ajay Sah said the party had many OBC leaders, each with their own role. “Das has already held major posts like Chief Minister, state president, and Governor, and the party will assign him a key role again if it’s necessary,” he said.
The BJP spokesperson praised Sahu’s vast organisational experience. “Though he may not always be in the limelight, no one criticises him. This is the reason he has been appointed,” he said.
The Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand since 2022, Sahu is a relatively low-profile leader with decades of organisational experience. Sahu, who is from the village of Ormanjhi in Ranchi district, is from the Sundhi community. He started his political career with the BJP in 1988 and, within a couple of years, was appointed the party’s Mandal unit leader. He was the general secretary of the party’s Ranchi rural unit from 2002 to 2003. He was a close associate of former MP Ram Tahal Choudhary and served as his parliamentary representative during his multiple parliamentary terms.
He joined the BJP’s state executive committee in 2012–13, became state vice-president in 2014, and was appointed the party’s state general secretary in 2019, a role he held again in 2023. He was also assigned key responsibilities during major elections.