Deepak Prakash appointed BJP's Jharkhand chief

BJP president J P Nadda on Tuesday appointed Deepak Prakash and Abdul Khader Haji as the party's state unit chief in Jharkhand and Lakshadweep respectively. Prakash was a party general secretary in Jharkhand and his elevation comes close on the heels of the election of Babulal Marandi as the BJP legislative party leader in the state.

The BJP had recently lost power in the state to the JMM-Congress alliance, prompting its top brass to woo Marandi, who was once in the saffron party before quitting it to form a regional outfit, back in its fold. A communication from the BJP also said that Haji will head of its Lakshadweep unit.