Early last month, when the former chief minister of Jharkhand and national vice-president of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Babulal Marandi, was soaking in the sights and sounds of a Calcutta night, en route to Ranchi from Hyderabad, he was seized by a bout of nostalgia — rather a sense of pride. The roads in Jharkhand were better. He had seen to that during his tenure as the state’s chief minister.

Marandi’s obsession with “roads” is spilling over to the party as well, despite the fact that he is no more at the helm of affairs in Jharkhand. The taste of power is too heady to be forgotten in a hurry. Haunted by the sense of loss, the former chief minister and his coterie are willing to take a go at it again, or so the National Democratic Alliance insiders believe.

It may not be public yet, but in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls and the assembly elections soon after, the divisions in the BJP are likely to become more apparent. The silent power struggle between Marandi and his successor to the chief minister’s post, Arjun Munda, is intensifying, laying bare the latent factionalism in the party and the coalition.

The odds against each are being carefully weighed and handicap points being awarded in the ballot race. Jharkhand seems to be caught in a Munda-Marandi mire.

Though Marandi denies it with grace, the speculation doing the rounds in Ranchi is that the spotlight is swivelling once again on him. The former chief minister has been advocating early assembly polls to cash in on the BJP’s “feel good” wave, while Munda wants to savour the delights of the chair for one more year. The assembly term in Jharkhand expires next year.

The alliance, both at the Centre and in the state, is divided over the issue. While those backing Munda are not too keen on simultaneous assembly and Lok Sabha polls, the national president of the party, M. Venkaiah Naidu, recently dropped hints that Jharkhand could be a last-minute addition to the list of states where Delhi was planning to seek an early mandate. Five states are slated to go to polls around the same time that the general election happens.

However, even if the Centre decides to allow Munda to complete his term, it is advantage Marandi. Munda is no stranger to the fact. This probably accounts for his frequent trips to Delhi, parleys with the deputy prime minister, L.K. Advani, and the announcement of a slew of development schemes for the state.

The young chief minister, a Jharkhand Mukti Morcha deserter, is also undergoing an image makeover. Criticized for projecting a passive public face for the first few months after taking over the reins of power from Marandi in a coup last year, Munda is busy making up on the public relation front by hosting a string of “all-India level functions”. The social calendar this winter was crammed with engagements, each one vying with the other in colour, innovation and participation. A five-day youth festival, with participation from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation nations, followed immediately by an inter-university sports carnival left the East Singhbhum district administration gasping for breath. The steel city of Jamshedpur was hard put to accommodate the guests, but Munda was in no mood for “excuses and glitches.” His credibility as Delhi’s “delivery boy” was at stake.

But perceptions inside the BJP about Munda’s abilities differ. A section of leaders describe him as “all words and no action.” It might be true to some extent. At 35, he almost had the crown thrust upon him, and herding a disparate flock with an aggressive upper-caste lobby and belligerent allies was daunting. If BJP veterans like Saryu Rai are to be believed, Munda has done a fair job.

“Is it so?” queries a senior BJP minister from Jamshedpur. Munda has achieved what Marandi “fortunately” could not during his two-year rule. The recent controversy over the removal of the science and technology minister, Samresh Singh, following allegations of graft against the chief minister, has united the opposition for the first time in the state. The prospect of the elusive grand opposition alliance seems almost real with the JMM taking the lead in haggling for seats with the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal. The opposition-sponsored bandh on January 29 demanding a judicial probe into the “wheeling-dealing” of the chief minister’s wife and friends evoked some measure of response, at least in the state capital.

Singh alleged that Munda’s wife was awarded several lucrative transport contracts after he became the chief minister and she was in league with a former terrorist. Munda retaliated by stripping Singh of his post and “requisitioning” the services of the one-time powerbroker, Saryu Rai, who is currently a Rajya Sabha hopeful, to carry out a sting operation. A Dilip Singh Judeo-like “cash-on-camera” scandal, albeit on a smaller scale, showed two students of the Bokaro Institute of Technology lodging a first information report in Ranchi, accusing Singh of accepting a hefty bribe for admission.

The compact disc was circulated in the media, but ironically, it only helped forge a semblance of unity in the opposition ranks. Soon after his ouster, Samresh Singh, who was also part of the rebel caucus instrumental in removing Marandi, compared Munda with his predecessor, dubbing the latter “a poor administrator but a good man.” Munda, according to him, was not only an “inept administrator”, but also a “corrupt soul”.

A strong indictment, indeed. This, coupled with Munda’s poor popularity rating, clumsy governance, lack of political grooming especially in the sangh way of things, and disgruntled allies, in contrast to Marandi’s Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh background, could prove to be his Achilles’ heel in the future.

The tidings from Delhi are also far from heartening. The BJP high command is also confused. Allegations of corruption against Munda at this juncture could be embarrassing for the party. A recent opinion poll conducted by ORG threw up some some interesting facts. The survey, held under five heads, rating the popularity of Arjun Munda, Babulal Marandi and Yashwant Sinha, gave Marandi a clear edge. In the urban areas, comprising six towns, Marandi surged ahead of Munda with a 62-per cent rating, though Yashwant Sinha was voted the favourite (with 63 per cent).

Similarly, the survey showed that Marandi had better control of the bureaucracy than Munda (40 per cent) with 79 per cent rating. However, Yashwant Sinha remained the darling of the “babudom” with 80 per cent. In the rural areas, Marandi topped the popularity score with 88 per cent, while Arjun Munda trailed behind at 22 per cent.

The overall tally also went in favour of Marandi at 71 per cent, with Munda managing a measly 18 per cent. Almost cent per cent of the labourers interviewed rooted for Marandi, while 54 per cent respondents wanted Marandi as the next chief minister. The report, according to a senior BJP minister, has already found its way to the prime minister’s office.

As if on cue, Marandi is preparing for the role of the star campaigner in the Lok Sabha poll. “Right now, all my attention is focussed on the NDA campaign in the state. It has to get the maximum seats, may be all the 14,’’ laughs the mild-mannered former chief minister. He has been doing the routine rounds of the villages, strengthening mass contact and indulging in “Sonia-bashing” at every party meeting in true BJP tradition. But he has been keeping a low-profile in matters of governance and polity.

If BJP insiders are to be believed, the strategy is simple. If Marandi succeeds in seeing BJP through in the state, he will be the party’s natural choice as the next chief minister. That way, his claim to the throne will be legitimate, a reward for the services rendered.