Babulal Marandi

Babu Lal Marandi (born 11 January 1958) was the first Chief Minister of Jharkhand. He is the founder and national president of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik). He is the Member of Parliament from Koderma Lok Sabha constituency. He was the Minister of State, Forests & Environment, Govt. of India in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.

Early life

Babulal was born in a remote Kodia Bank village under Tisri block of Giridih district of the now Jharkhand province.

After passing high school, he moved to Giridih College from where he did his intermediate and graduation. It was there that he came in contact with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

He worked as a teacher in a village primary school for a year before giving up the job to work for the Sangh Parivar. He served as the organising secretary of the Jharkhand region of Vishwa Hindu Parishad.

In 1983, he moved to Dumka and worked in the Santhal Parganas division, which he toured extensively. In those days, he used to live in the RSS office in Dumka.

Political career

In 1991, the BJP gave him the ticket to contest from the Dumka (reserved) Lok Sabha seat, but he lost. In 1996, he lost to Shibu Soren by just 5,000 odd votes. The BJP, in the meantime, made him president of the party's Jharkhand unit.

It was under Marandi's leadership that the party won 12 out of 14...
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