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Teacher eyes House seat
Our Correspondent
Ranchi, March 5: Among the names doing the rounds for the nominated MLA is B.J. Rodrigues, a former Doon School teacher and principal of Vikas Vidyalaya.
The sportsman-turned-academic is confident about making it to the Assembly as a representative of the Anglo-Indian community. But the wait for a notification from the Raj Bhavan will probably be longer, given the fast-changing political developments in the state. Rodrigues met deputy chief minister Stephen Marandi and chief minister Shibu Soren this afternoon.
Marandi, however, later denied that the government has recommended anyone as the MLA from the Anglo-Indian community. He parried the question if the nomination would be made before the trial of strength on March 15.
Talking to The Telegraph over phone from Neori in Ormanjhi, Rodrigues said the government has already recommended his name to the governor and he was waiting for the notification. “I wanted to find out what was the recent development. I have information that my name has already been recommended.”
The academic declares that his interest in politics is minimal. But he agreed to a request from “some elders in the JMM and the Congress”, he said, as he has always been keen on social work and wanted to chip in with his contribution to the society. Rodrigues was evasive when asked who approached him with the offer, but said it was possible that the principal of Don Bosco Academy, Patna, considered close to the RJD, suggested his name.
“I want to serve the community especially students, youths and sportspersons. But my focus will not only be on Anglo-Indians or minorities. I will for work for all sections of the society,” he said.
Rodrigues, who received the Radhakrishna Award for contribution to education, sports, art and culture in 2004, points out that he is acceptable to all political combines. The previous NDA government had also floated a proposal to make him the nominated MLA. “There was a move to change Galstaun as he was basically from Bihar. I was approached, but I refused since Galstaun was already there. It is not a big deal to be a nominated MLA,” Rodgrigues said, but added that this time, the case was different as he had been given a chance to be part of Jharkhand’s first elected Assembly.
Rodrigues was born in Jamshedpur in 1949 and spent his childhood in Chakradhapur. He did his schooling from La Martiniere, Calcutta and graduated in English from St. Xavier’s Calcutta.