Raghubar Das was appointed as the Governor of Odisha on October 18, 2023
OdishaPlus Bureau
In a move that was anticipated, Odisha Governor Raghubar Das officially resigned from his position on Tuesday, igniting considerable discussion. There had been widespread speculation regarding his potential return to active politics following his resignation.
On September 11, Das altered the color of his profile picture on X and Facebook, which fueled rumors about his re-entry into Jharkhand politics. Notably, he temporarily changed the frame of his profile picture to green and saffron, but once it gained traction on social media, he reverted to his previous image.
It was widely anticipated within political circles that Das would run for his former constituency, Jamshedpur East, in the recent Assembly elections. However, for reasons that remain unclear, this plan was deferred, and his daughter-in-law was nominated to contest that seat instead.
Insiders close to Das have indicated that his role as Governor does not correspond with his political ambitions. He has reportedly expressed a wish to resign from this position and re-enter active politics.
Nevertheless, the specific role he may assume under the BJP leadership is still uncertain. Rumors are suggesting that he could return to the Jharkhand BJP to revitalize the state unit, which has faced challenges following its significant defeat in the assembly elections.
Raghubar Das was appointed as the Governor of Odisha on October 18, 2023, following the BJP’s loss in the 2019 Jharkhand Assembly elections. This defeat has been largely attributed to dissatisfaction among tribal voters, which was reportedly triggered by the Das-led government’s attempts to amend the CNT/SPT Acts.
The BJP’s decision to assign Das to Odisha was perceived as a strategy to empower Babulal Marandi in Jharkhand, particularly after Marandi integrated his party, the JVM, with the BJP in 2020. However, despite these strategic moves, Marandi was unable to regain control from the JMM-led coalition in the 2024 elections.
In light of the BJP’s disappointing results in the recent assembly elections, there is an increasing call from certain factions within the party to strengthen their appeal among the 74% of non-tribal voters in Jharkhand. The tribal population, which constitutes 26% of the state’s demographic, predominantly supported the JMM-led coalition during the elections.
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