Central leadership picks Goswami as State party chief

Sunday, September 26, 2010

VIJAY DEO JHA

RANCHI

The Central BJP leadership on Saturday effected a key change in the State BJP; picking party's vice-president Dineshanand Goswami as the next president in a calibrated exercise to strike a synergy between the party and the organisation.

Drafted for a critical and contentious job, as a BJP source said, Goswami was selected for veneer of equidistance with Chief Minister Arjun Munda and outgoing president Raghuwar Das whose differences have embossed the face of the party. Goswami may not display his leaning towards any group and faction; but he is said to be close to Munda.

The post got vacant after Das resigned in January this year, following his induction in the coalition Government led by Shibu Soren. Asked to stay as working president till further arrangements were made, the State BJP had announced to complete the procedure of the appointment of the party president through consensus basis by September 25.

Soon after the announcement Goswami who has been recuperating from leg fracture told The Pioneer that his primary task would be to inject fresh blood in the party organisation.

Goswami used three key words out of his diction; 'consensus', "organisational overhauling" and "expansion of the base of the party" and said he was quite aware of the lurking challenges like factionalism, widening faultline and crumbling index of the party's popularity that has shown a rise in an alarming proportion.

Nevertheless, his selection was greeted with initial whine as both the Chief Minister and party president belong to Jamshedpur.

Even after backroom criticism from a section of the party; Goswami's selection is seen as a great reprieve for Munda. Goswami is in his good books even if he is not a yes man in true spirit. A desperate Munda even lobbied for Dhanbad MP PN Singh, who as the party president in the past got the distinction of being Munda's yesman. Singh's proposed anointment could not graduate beyond the media column. "It could have emitted a wrong signal. We needed a dynamic face who can act as a bridge between the party and the organisation. Goswami is a good choice…he knows the organisation, he has field experience," a senior party leader commented.

But his leadership quality will see a critical test in his hometown Jamshedpur which has turned into a battleground between Das and senior party leader Saryu Rai who are in a war of words to assert their hold on the party organisation. If that requires a proof it can be ascertained from the fact during organisation elections of the party in Jamshedpur. Both factions have been running a parallel organisation and committees in 12 out of 21 blocks. It will be very difficult but a challenging task for him to facilitate détente between two senior leaders.

After Munda's nomination as Chief Minister it was almost certain the post of party president would go to a non-tribal. At one point of time the Central BJP leadership is believed to have decided the name of Sunil Singh for party president. But that process was abandoned after the fall of the Shibu Soren Government. Singh, nevertheless, welcomed the decision and pledged all support to Goswami but remained silent as to why the Central leadership dropped his name. Probably his closeness with Rai proved as the biggest stumbling block. Rai has often been very critical and vocal in criticising his own party and Government.

Goswami's appointment is seen as a long term plan of the party to accommodate different castes and creed in the party fold to increase its base. With CP Singh as Assembly Speaker, Munda as tribal and Goswami as Brahmin leader the Central leadership hopes the combination will work successfully.

But the party cannot ignore the Vaishya community; the mainstay of the party. Nevertheless, Das at the last moment lobbied for reappointment as State president much to the discomfiture of Munda.

Regional imbalances are still to be addressed. There is no representation of Santhal Pargana in the organisation and there has been a greater demand to accommodate party MLA from Santhal Pargana in the Ministry. In a couple of days Munda is expected to open the Pandora's box of Cabinet expansion where such concerns are expected to be addressed. Limited scope and too many aspirations will be a major test for both Goswami and Munda.