BJP, Samata deadlocked

Having locked horns over a single Rajya Sabha seat, the BJP and the Samata Party, both partners in the ruling coalition led by Chief Ministe...

Having locked horns over a single Rajya Sabha seat, the BJP and the Samata Party, both partners in the ruling coalition led by Chief Minister Babu Lal Marandi in Jharkhand, are heading for a showdown.

Five Samata ministers quit the Marandi Govt as well as the coalition’s co-ordination committee late last night in a last-minute attempt to put pressure on big-brother BJP to withdraw its candidate, Abhay Kant Prasad, to pave the way for Samata nominee R K Mahato. The by-poll for the RS seat, which fell vacant after the death of Samata leader Dayanand Sahay, is slated to be held on May 30.

Announcing the ministers’ resignations, Samata state president and excise minister RS Munda, however, stated that the party would continue to back the Marandi government. Stating that the ball was now in the court of the central leadership of both parties, he added that he and the other Samata ministers — R Kesri, Bachcha Singh, Madhu Singh and Jaleshwar Mahato — had resigned following instructions from the high command.

As of now, a contest between the two allies seems inevitable. Samata spokesman Shambhu Sharan Srivastav insisted here today that the BJP should withdraw its nominee to bring back ‘‘the coalition from the brink’’. The Samata Party will hold a meeting in Ranchi tomorrow to decide whether to remain in the coalition in Jharkhand.

The police said that Kumar, a resident of Turbhe MIDC in Navi Mumbai, was driving his concrete mixer truck when it collided with an SUV.

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