Senior advocate Rohitashya Roy was appointed as Jharkhand's new Advocate General on Sunday, following the unexpected resignation of incumbent Advocate General Rajiv Ranjan earlier in the day.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren accepted Ranjan’s resignation before the state Law Department issued an official notification confirming Roy’s appointment.
The abrupt leadership change in the state's top legal office has triggered political speculation, with no official explanation offered for Ranjan’s departure.
Ranjan had served as the state's Advocate General since February 2020, shortly after the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led coalition assumed power following the 2019 Assembly elections.
During his tenure, he represented the state government in several important constitutional, administrative and policy-related matters. However, despite continuing in office after the latest Assembly elections, a formal notification renewing his appointment was reportedly never issued.
The development quickly drew criticism from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which questioned the circumstances surrounding the transition and accused the government of undermining constitutional institutions.
BJP state spokesperson Ajay Sah described the episode as a "musical chairs" exercise within the government, alleging that constitutional positions were being influenced by internal political considerations rather than professional performance.
"No constitutional office holder appears secure under the present dispensation. Decisions regarding appointments and removals are being shaped by internal power equations within the ruling establishment," Sah claimed.
The BJP also alleged that the Advocate General's office had been used to pursue politically motivated litigation, resulting in unnecessary expenditure of public funds. The party claimed that several legally weak cases were pursued up to the Supreme Court despite having limited merit.
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