Ravindra Rai was today appointed as the BJP’s Jharkhand unit President. He succeeds Dineshanand Goswami.

Goswami had a tumultuous stint, failing to win the Jamshedpur Lok Sabha elections and BJP insiders accusing him of being former chief minister Arjun Munda’s stooge.

Rai, who rejoined the BJP after quitting the party along with ex-CM Babulal Marandi who snapped ties with the saffron party five years ago, is the national vice president of the BJP’s Kissan Morcha.

Rai was chosen by party’s national President Rajnath Singh from among four aspirants, Raghuvar Das, Rakesh Prasad, Goswami, besides Rai himself.

Munda, who had yesterday resigned from the post of BJP-LP leader, has become a seasoned politician who knows when and how to tight the screws of those who abhors or fears—-and Rai’s elevation to the state unit president is another triumph in the party.

“If Munda ji continues to win such battles, then the BJP will also become Congress’ B team in Jharkhand at a time when Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantric) and Ajsu party are making inroads into BJP vote bank,” said a party leader, who had been an office bearer of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and former spokesman of the BJP’s state unit.