One Win, One Miss: BJP Locks In Bihar Strongman, Loses Out On Jharkhand Leader

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was on the verge of securing two significant political victories in Bihar and Jharkhand but managed to clinch only one.

In Jharkhand, former chief minister and senior Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Champai Soren is floating a new party, while in Bihar, Narendra Pandey, alias Sunil Pandey, has already joined the BJP along with his son, Vishal Prashant

Pandey, a well-known figure in Bihar's strongman circle, is currently a senior leader of the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP), headed by Pashupati Paras, brother of Ram Vilas Paswan.

Pandey was sent to Bangalore by his father for higher education but entered the crime world after an alleged knife fight. He returned to his village and rose through the ranks of strongmen culture. Once upon a time, he was so dreaded and confident that a rivalry between him and Brahmeshwar Mukhiya, chief of Ranvir Sena had ensued.

In fact, in a November 2023 supplementary chargesheet, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) named Sunil’s brother, Hulas Pandey, as an accused in the Mukhiya murder case.

Meanwhile, Sunil Pandey completed his PhD on Lord Mahavir and prefers to use ‘Doctor’ as a prefix to his name.

He first rose to political prominence after winning the Piro assembly constituency in 2000 from Samta Party ticket. Later he joined Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) but was ousted in 2006 after claiming that he had shot Patna’s Assistant Superintendent of Police.

JD(U) took him back in 2010 but after his brother’s name emerged in the Mukhiya murder case, Pandey’s popularity started to decline.

After the Piro assembly seat was renamed Tarari following delimitation, Pandey’s dominance continued there until 2015 when he joined the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and later became part of RLJP, which was formed after the LJP’s split. Pandey has not been able to reassert his claim on Tarari in the last two elections.

Pandey is considered the likely winner in the by-polls necessitated after the sitting member of legislative assembly (MLA), Sudama Prasad, was elected as a member of parliament (MP) from Arrah.

RLJP aimed to secure a favourable share from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the 2025 assembly elections through Pandey, starting by seeking BJP’s support for his by-poll candidacy.

But the BJP has silenced RLJP for now. Pandey, who belongs to the Bhumihar community and has considerable influence over its voters, could help the party recover disgruntled Bhumihar voters if he or his son Vishal is given a ticket, which is highly probable.

Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, more than half a week of controversy seems to have ended as a possible missed opportunity for the BJP.

Champai Soren, former chief minister and a well-respected leader of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) announced on 21 August 2024 that he will float his new party soon.

The controversy surrounding Champai Soren began a few days before the announcement, with roots tracing back to 3 July 2024, when Champai made way for Hemant Soren’s return to the chief minister (CM) position.

Champai, generally seen as a reserved and compliant figure, was displeased with his ousting. Before Hemant's return was finalised, Champai was stopped from attending public functions as Jharkhand's chief minister. Additionally, Hemant promoted a cash scheme for women as his own initiative, failing to credit Champai.

Meanwhile, sensing an opportunity, the BJP began efforts to align with Champai. Its leaders repeatedly praised him, and their attempts seemed to bear fruit when Champai notably omitted Hemant's name from his Independence Day speech.

Amidst this, speculation arose that Champai had met senior BJP leader Arjun Munda. Rumours also began circulating about his discussions with Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Eventually, it was reported that he would travel to Delhi via West Bengal, meeting Suvendu Adhikary of BJP Bengal before final negotiations with Home Minister Amit Shah.

On 18 August 2024, Champai expressed his dissatisfaction with Hemant Soren’s leadership on X. He kept his options open, including the possibility of joining another party, retirement, or starting his own political party.

Within 36 hours of posting on X, Champai denied meeting with any BJP leader and said he was in Delhi for personal work.

Political analysts believe that tribal leaders within the BJP might oppose Champai joining their ranks. Given his seniority, respect among tribals, and influence in the Kolhan region, even a chief ministerial position for Champai wouldn’t be considered an excessive demand.

Champai is proceeding with forming his own unit but has not ruled out the possibility of an alliance.

It will be interesting to see if the rivalry between Raghubar Das and Saryu Roy is echoed in the contest between Hemant and Champai Soren.