Babulal Marandi is an Indian tribal activist, politician, and member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He served as the first Chief Minister of Jharkhand from 2000 to 2003. He is the founder of the regional political party Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) and has served as a Member of the Parliament (MP) five times. He hit the headlines in July 2023 after he was appointed as the president of the BJP in Jharkhand.
Wiki/Biography
Babulal Marandi, also spelt as Babu Lal Marandi, was born on Saturday, 11 January 1958 (age 65 years; as of 2023) in Kodia Bandh village, Giridih district, Bihar (now in Jharkhand), India. His zodiac sign is Capricorn. Babulal completed his primary schooling at a local government-run school in Giridih. He later went to Baghmara, Jharkhand, where he enrolled at the Saraswati Shishu Vidya Mandir and completed high school with a second class. Thereafter, he enrolled at Giridih College in Sonbad, Jharkhand, where he completed his intermediate in 1981 and earned a bachelor’s degree in arts in 1983. Later, he earned a post-graduate degree in geography at Ranchi University.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 7″
Hair Colour: Salt and Pepper
Eye Colour: Dark Brown
Family & Caste
Babulal Marandi belongs to a Santhal (Scheduled Tribe) family in Jharkhand.
Parents & Siblings
His father’s name is Chhotu Lal Marandi (deceased). His mother’s name is Mina Murmu.
Babulal Marandi taking blessings from his mother
Babulal is the eldest of five siblings, two brothers, and two sisters. His younger brother, Nunulal Marandi, is a politician.
A photo of Nunulal Marandi
His younger sister, Maisuni Devi, went missing from Jharkhand in 2012 and was found in Rajasthan in an ashram by the cops in 2020.
A photo of Babulal Marandi’s sister
Wife & Children
His wife, Shanti Murmu, is a homemaker. He had four children, three sons, and a daughter. His son Anup Marandi passed away in October 2007 after he was shot dead by Maoists in Jharkhand. His other two sons are named Piyush Lal Marandi and Sanatan Marandi. His daughter’s name is Shankhani Marandi.
Religion
Babulal Marandi follows Hinduism.
Signature/Autograph
Signature of Babulal Marandi
Career
Before Politics
While studying at Ranchi University, Marandi joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as a pracharak in Bihar. After completing his formal education, Marandi started serving as a teacher at a primary school in his native village; however, after working as a teacher for a year, he left the job to devote more time to the RSS. From 1983 to 1990, he served as the organizing secretary of the Vananchal Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP); the BJP used the term Vananchal to refer to the Jharkhand region as back then Jharkhand was a part of the state of Bihar. Marandi relocated to Dumka in 1983 to work for the Santhal Parganas division. In 1989, he left the RSS and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Politics
He contested the 1991 Lok Sabha elections from the Dumka constituency, reserved for the ST candidates, on BJP’s ticket. He, however, lost the elections. He received a special invitation to serve on the Union Cabinet Sub-Committee for Minorities and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in 1992. In 1994, he assumed the post of secretary of the BJP in Bihar. In 1995, he contested the Bihar Vidhan Sabha elections on BJP’s ticket from the Dumka constituency; however, he was defeated by Stephen Marandi, a Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) candidate. In the same year, he was appointed as the president of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Vananchal State Committee in Bihar. In 1996, he contested the general elections from the Dumka constituency but lost to Shibu Soren by a margin of 5,000 votes. He secured a total of 6,01,894 votes and emerged victorious in the Lok Sabha elections from the Dumka constituency in 1998. In the elections, under Marandi’s leadership, the party won 12 out of 14 Lok Sabha seats in the Jharkhand region. In the same year, he became the Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests; he served as a minister till 1999. In 1998, he led a task force focused on promoting employment generation in the realm of Khadi and Village Industries specifically for South Bihar. He was re-elected to the parliament from the Dumka constituency in 1999; he secured a total of 5,54,237 votes in the general elections. He was once again appointed as the Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests on 13 October 1999, a post that he held till November 2000. He played a crucial role in the formation of the state of Jharkhand, which was carved out of the state of Bihar in 2000. After the separation, Marandi was appointed as the first Chief Minister of Jharkhand. As the Chief Minister, Marandi focused on various developmental initiatives such as improving the existing roadways, railways, and education infrastructure. He additionally proposed the concept of developing Greater Ranchi as a means to alleviate overcrowding within the city. He served as the Chief Minister till March 2003. According to reports, under the pressure exerted by the ruling parties’ coalition, particularly JD(U), Marandi was ousted from the position and succeeded by Arjun Munda. In 2004, he contested the Lok Sabha elections from the Kodarma constituency and emerged as a victor. In the same year, he was appointed as a member of the committee on Human Resource Development. Thereafter, he was appointed as a member of the Committee to Review the Rate of Dividend Payable by the Railway Undertaking to General Resources. Babulal Marandi stepped down from his parliamentary membership on 22 May 2006 after resigning from the BJP due to political disagreements. In his resignation letter, he wrote,
We have forgotten that in public life, the nation’s aspirations should be supreme and not that of the individual.”
On 24 September 2006, Marandi founded the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik). In 2009, he contested the Lok Sabha elections from Kodarma constituency on a JVM(P) ticket and emerged victorious. He contested and won the 2014 Jharkhand Vidhan Sabha elections from the Dhanwar constituency. In 2019, Marandi contested the Lok Sabha elections from the Kodarma constituency; however, he lost the elections to Annpurna Devi, a BJP candidate. In the same year, Marandi contested the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly polls from the Dhanwar constituency and emerged victorious.
A photo of Babulal Marandi taken while he was addressing an election rally in 2019
On 17 February 2020, at Jagannathpur Maidan in Ranchi, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) merged with the Bharatiya Janata Party. This event took place in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President Jagat Prakash Nadda, and former Chief Ministers of Jharkhand, Arjun Munda and Raghubar Das. Talking about the merger, in an interview, Marandi said,
BJP was in touch with us since 2014. BJP had contacted us after the Lok Sabha elections and assembly elections in 2014. Right from the very beginning BJP wanted us to merge with them.”
A photo of Babulal Marandi with Amit Shah after merging his party with the BJP
Unhappy with the merger of JVM(P) and the BJP, a few MLAs belonging to JVM(P) left the party and joined the Indian National Congress (INC). On 24 February 2020, he became the leader of the opposition in the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly. In July 2023, he was appointed as the BJP’s Jharkhand state president.
Marandi posing for a photo with his followers after getting appointed as the state president of the BJP
Controversies
Cases Where Pending
- 5 charges related to Punishment for false evidence (IPC Section-193)
- 5 charges related to Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property (IPC Section-420)
- 5 charges related to Forgery for the purpose of cheating (IPC Section-468)
- 3 charges related to Having possession of a document described in Section 466 or 467, knowing it to be forged and intending to use it as genuine (IPC Section-474)
- 2 charges related to Forgery of valuable security, will, etc. (IPC Section-467)
- 1 charge related to Giving or fabricating false evidence with intent to procure conviction of capital offence (IPC Section-194)
- 1 charge related to Punishment for criminal intimidation (IPC Section-506)
- 1 charge related to Illegal payments in connection with an election (IPC Section-171H)
- 5 charges related to Punishment of criminal conspiracy (IPC Section-120B)
- 5 charges related to Using as genuine a forged document or electronic record (IPC Section-471)
- 3 charges related to Forgery for the purpose of harming reputation (IPC Section-469)
- 3 charges related to Disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant (IPC Section-188)
- 2 charges related to Mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees (IPC Section-427)
- 1 charge related to Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention (IPC Section-34)
- 1 charge related to Punishment of abetment if the act abetted is committed in consequence, and where no express provision is made for its punishment (IPC Section-109)
- 1 charge related to Punishment for Being a member of an unlawful assembly (IPC Section-143)
- 1 charge related to Obstructing public servants in the discharge of public functions (IPC Section-186)
- 1 charge related to Punishment for criminal trespass (IPC Section-447)
- 1 charge related to Punishment for Defamation (IPC Section-500)
- 1 charge related to Punishment for Rioting (IPC Section-147)
- 1 charge related to Every member of unlawful assembly guilty of an offence committed in prosecution of a common object (IPC Section-149)
- 1 charge related to Knowingly joining or continuing in assembly of five or more persons after it has been commanded to disperse (IPC Section-151)
- 1 charge related to Assaulting or obstructing a public servant when suppressing a riot, etc. (IPC Section-152)
- 1 charge related to Affray (IPC Section-159)
- 1 charge related to Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt (IPC Section-323)
- 1 charge related to Assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty (IPC Section-353)
Booked for Offensive Remarks
On 25 August 2023, Babulal Marandi was booked for making derogatory remarks against Chief Minister of Jharkhand Hemant Soren and his father and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) Chief Shibu Soren during the Sankalp Yatra in Jharkhand. Two FIRs were registered against Marandi; one in Ranchi by Sonu Tirkey, a Jharkhand Mukti Morcha worker, and the other in Deoghar at the Madhupur Police Station. The Ranchi FIR included charges under sections 500 (defamation), 504 (provocation of breach of peace through insults), and 505 (2) (publication of statements promoting enmity or hatred based on religion, race, or community) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The Deoghar FIR covered the same sections along with an additional charge under section 153 (a) IPC for hate speech.
Car Collection
Babulal Marandi owns a Tata Safari as well as another car.
Income
His income in the financial year 2017-18 was estimated to be Rs. 10,36,924.
Assets & Properties
Movable Assets
- Bank Deposits: Rs. 26,55,567
- NSS, Postal Savings: Rs. 1,00,000
- Motor Vehicles: Rs. 3,40,000
- Other Assets: Rs. 2,12,000
Immovable Assets
- Agricultural Land: Rs. 32,60,000
- Commercial Buildings: Rs. 3,11,25,000
Note: The given estimates of movable and immovable assets are according to the year 2019. It excludes the assets owned by his wife and dependents (minor).
Net Worth
Babulal Marandi’s net worth in 2019 was estimated to be Rs. 3,62,80,567. It excludes the net worth of his wife and dependents (minors).
Facts/Trivia
- Babulal Marandi follows a vegetarian diet.
- He passionately follows his hobby of reading. He also takes a keen interest in listening to folk music and works for the protection of the environment.
- Babulal Marandi is a hodophile (one who likes to travel a lot) and has visited numerous countries including Bangladesh, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Malaysia, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, and UAE.
- In 1992, he was appointed as the president of the Bihar State Adivasi Morcha.
- Babulal Marandi takes a keen interest in sports like archery and football.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education