Sri Vijaya Puram, June 30 — In a move that underscores the growing influence of Lok Sabha MP Bishnu Pada Ray within the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Andaman and Nicobar unit, veteran party worker and businessman Anil Tiwari has been elected unopposed as the new State President of the party, sources told The Wave Andaman.
The election, held earlier today at Lemon Tree Hotel, was conducted in the presence of senior party leaders and overseen by Raghunath Kulkarni, the BJP’s national convener for the islands. At least three other contenders had initially expressed interest in the post, but withdrew after Kulkarni conveyed the central leadership’s directive to back Tiwari—reportedly on the strong recommendation of Ray.
Tiwari’s election is expected to be formally announced on July 1, followed by a brief felicitation ceremony. His term as state president will last three years.
Tiwari, who migrated to the islands in the late 1990s as an unemployed youth, built his career in land and real estate before gradually rising through the party’s ranks. Over the years, he is believed to have cultivated strong ties with several senior BJP leaders at the national level, as well as with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
His ascent is widely seen as being closely tied to Bishnu Pada Ray, the sitting MP from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and a foundational figure in the local BJP unit since the 1990s.
Sources said Ray personally pitched Tiwari’s name during a recent round of meetings with BJP leadership in New Delhi. “This is not just an election—it’s a reaffirmation of Ray’s dominance over the local party structure,” said a senior leader familiar with the matter.
The Andaman BJP has for years been dogged by internal factionalism, particularly between Ray loyalists and supporters of former state president Vishal Jolly. Tiwari, seen as a low-key but loyal figure within the Ray camp, is expected to act as a stabilizing presence.
A person close to Tiwari said the new president intends to take a “consultative and inclusive” approach, with regular inputs from Ray on strategic and organisational decisions.
