Ranchi, Oct 3 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday appointed Rajya Sabha MP Aditya Sahu as the new working president of its Jharkhand unit, a party statement said.

The announcement was made through an official letter issued by the BJP's National General Secretary, Arun Singh.

'The National President of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Jagat Prakash Nadda, has appointed Aditya Sahu, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, as the State Working President of the party, Jharkhand, replacing Ravindra Kumar Ray. The above appointment will be effective immediately,' the letter said.

Ravindra Kumar Ray was appointed to the post of working president in October last year, just before the Jharkhand Assembly elections. Party insiders say that Ray may now be given a different responsibility at the organisational level.

Aditya Sahu, a resident of Kuchchu village in Ormanjhi block of Ranchi district, has been associated with the BJP for over two decades. Over the years, he has held several key organisational posts, including that of Vice President and General Secretary of the state party unit.

A teacher by profession, Sahu served as a lecturer at Ram Tahal Choudhary College until 2019, before being elected to the Rajya Sabha in July 2022.

At 61, Sahu's elevation is being interpreted as a calculated political move by the BJP leadership. Belonging to the influential Vaishya community -- traditionally considered a strong support base of the party -- his appointment is likely aimed at consolidating social equations and balancing caste dynamics within the state unit.

The development comes at a time when the tenure of state BJP president Babulal Marandi has also ended, sparking speculation over the next leadership change.

The name of former Chief Minister Raghubar Das, also from the Vaishya community, has been doing the rounds. However, with Sahu already in a key role, political observers believe the party might now hand over the state president's post to a leader from the tribal or OBC communities, in a bid to broaden its appeal.

/IANS