BJP members celebrate Dineshanand Goswami's appointment in Jamshedpur on Saturday. (Bhola Prasad)

Ranchi, Sept. 25: Dineshanand Goswami has been elevated to the position of BJP state unit chief, ending speculation regarding the post that was vacated by Ragubar Das after he was asked by the party headquarters to step down and pave the way for Arjun Munda’s coronation as chief minister.

Formerly state unit vice-president, Goswami is the seventh BJP chief in Jharkhand ever since it was carved out of Bihar in 2000.

“The BJP already has an efficient leader in Arjun Munda. My aim is to facilitate strong co-ordination between the state government and the party organisation,” he told The Telegraph from Jamshedpur’s Tata Memorial Hospital where he was being treated for a fractured leg.

Soon after BJP president Nitin Gadkari announced his appointment in New Delhi today, a section of BJP workers led by Ranchi mahanagar unit chief Gama Singh distributed sweets among themselves at the party office.

“An ordinary party worker has been made state president. Such a thing is possible only in the BJP, which has great respect for democratic values. He (Goswami) is a dedicated member of the Sangh Parivar and is capable of carrying along all like-minded forces,” said former BJP state unit chief Yadunath Pandey.

A dedicated RSS man, Goswami began his political career as a student leader. Later, he taught commerce at KMPM Inter College in Chakulia block of East Singhbum district and also went on to head the BJP students’ wing, Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), at the national level. He then became the state unit general secretary.

State BJP general secretary Ganesh Mishra said Goswami’s appointment would infuse new energy among partymen, especially the youth. “I would like to thank Gadkari for his kind gesture and my best wishes are with him,” he said. Goswami’s appointment is also a shot in the arm for Munda as he is a loyalist, unlike his predecessor, Das.

Goswami, who is likely to be released from hospital on Wednesday, hasn’t yet decided when he would assume charge. “We already have a strong support base in Jharkhand. At one time, we used to win all 14 Lok Sabha seats and over 54 Vidhan Sabha seats. My job is to closely knit our supporters and well-wishers.”