BJP goes all out to capture Jharkhand

RANCHI, SEPT 11: With the date to constitute the Jharkhand state, November 15, drawing near, the BJP is putting in all efforts to form the...

RANCHI, SEPT 11: With the date to constitute the Jharkhand state, November 15, drawing near, the BJP is putting in all efforts to form the first government there.

The date set for the creation of the state is the 101st birth anniversary of legendary tribal leader Birsa Munda, who had fought the British, landlords and the Church, and ended up dying at in the Ranchi central jail on June 6, 1900.

As it is likely to be the single largest party in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly when it is formed, the 32-MLA strong BJP expects to be called by the Governor. The BJP also claims it will have the support of in all 50 MLAs.

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But even if the 12 JMM MLAs — who have been demanding that Shibu Soren be picked up as the chief minister — do not support the BJP, the latter would still have 41 MLAs in its favour, one more than the half-way mark. Four MLAs of the Samata Party, three of the Janata Dal (United) and two of the United Goan Democratic party (UGDP) are backing it.

If the BJP manages to form a government, it is likely to be headed by its national vice-president, Karia Munda. His two party colleagues and MPs who had been in the race for the prestigious post, Union Minister of State for Forests and Environment Babu Lal Marandi and Dukha Bhagat, are learnt to have agreed to support his candidature.

An M.A. in anthropology from Ranchi University, Munda is an old BJP hand. He had joined the BJP’s parent party, Jan Sangh, to contest for the Khunti Lok Sabha seat on its ticket in 1970. Although he lost the election then, he won the same seat for the first time in 1977 and subsequently retained it in six consecutive Lok Sabha polls held between 1984 and 1999.

Twice a minister in the Union governments of 1977 and 1996, Munda, who was then chairman of the National Commission for Schedule Castes and Scheduled Tribes, is a non-controversial politician and known as `sugar daddy’ in his party circles.

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Sources in the BJP maintain that Munda has emerged as the unanimous choice of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Union Home Minister L.K. Advani, party president Bangaru Laxman, his predecessor Kushabhau Thakre and national vice-president Kailashpati Mishra. Also, he commands respect among the MLAs of the party and its allies, they asserted.

However a final decision in this regard, said the BJP sources, would be taken by the NDA leadership after Vajpayee returned from the United States.

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