Coalition, in 2 days flat

A day after Governor Syed Sibtey Razi invited the UPA to form the government because he wanted 8216;8216;stability8217;8217; in Jharkhan...

A day after Governor Syed Sibtey Razi invited the UPA to form the government because he wanted 8216;8216;stability8217;8217; in Jharkhand, the inherent instability of Shibu Soren8217;s combine has become glaringly obvious in the way it was cobbled together virtually in the last-minute.

8216;8216;I am satisfied that UPA alone can provide a stable and sincere government. The number game is not for me. It is to be tested by all legislators inside the House. I moved with my conscience and constitutional propriety,8217;8217; said Razi.

Here8217;s the story of how UPA8217;s 8216;8216;stable8217;8217; coalition was rounded up:

8226; The UPA had managed only 33 MLAs after the polls, compared to the NDA8217;s 36. Even within the UPA, there were rifts with RJD support uncertain till the last moment. Laloo Yadav is said to have made it clear that he would not be a party to the deal if he was not bailed out in Patna.

8226; Stephen Marandi had trounced Soren8217;s son in the election. On February 27, Marandi said: 8216;8216;I have not decided whom to support.8217;8217; The next day, he was approached by Soren, though the deal could not be clinched. Marandi then met Independents, though no decision was taken. Soren was sure of Marandi8217;s support only on March 1.

8226; On February 27, Forward Bloc MLA Bhanu Pratap Dehati was also 8216;8216;not decided8217;8217;. Resisting pressure from his Delhi leaders to go with the UPA, Dehati said: 8216;8216;I may have won on the Forward Bloc symbol but I am not yet a primary member of the party.8217;8217; On March 2, he was on Soren8217;s list.

8226; Razi received a letter from Jharkhand Party chief Lal Ranvijay Nath Shahdev, saying Independent MLA Enos Ekka will back the NDA. Afterwards Soren produced a letter from the virtually-retired Jharkhand Party president N.E. Horo that Ekka would vote for the UPA. On March 2, Ekka produced another letter, written again by Horo, stating his earlier letter was being withdrawn. The Governor continued to believe that Ekka was with the UPA.

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8226; Even the CPIM-L was undecided. On February 27, its MLA Binod Singh Mahato said: 8216;8216;Our policy is clear. We stay away from both UPA and NDA.8217;8217;

8226; Bandhu Tirkey, one of Soren8217;s first few Cabinet colleagues with criminal charges pending, was also not sympathetic four days ago. Yesterday, Tirkey tried to prevent the NDA chartered plane from taking off from Ranchi. On February 27, he said, 8216;8216;I have not made up my mind. My response is that I shouldn8217;t be going with the NDA.8217;8217;

8226; Another minister, sworn in yesterday, NCP8217;s Kamalesh Singh was equally hesitant on February 27. The NCP may be UPA8217;s party but Singh was playing hard to get. He said: 8216;8216;I don8217;t know whom to support, NDA or UPA.8217;8217;

8226; The Governor did not consider that several of these new UPA supporters had fought bitter electoral wars against both UPA and NDA nominees. Apart from Stephen Marandi8217;s contest with JMM, even Tirkey had unseated Congress MLA Dev Kumar Dhan in Mandar.

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8226; Razi should have studied the biodata of Joba Manjhi too. She was sworn in by Soren as a Cabinet Minister and has shown remarkable survival skills ever since. In 2000, she was an MoS in Rabri Devi8217;s government. After bifurcation, she was a minister under Babulal Marandi. Then, after change of guard, he was a Cabinet colleague of Arjun Munda. In 2005, she was on Soren8217;s side. She fought on a United Goan Democratic Party ticket, the same party that Bandu Tirkey also represents.

Rumblings8230;

	nbsp;	8226; Race for Speaker z Although Governor Syed Sibtey Razi had given Chief Minister Shibu Soren time till March 21 to prove his majority on the floor of the House, the newly elected MLAs were to elect the Speaker before D-day. Today, many of 33 MLAs of the JMM, Congress and RJD turned up to hand over their credentials to Assembly authorities. Among those in the race for Speaker are the Congress8217; two MLAs Pradeep Balmutchu and Manoj Yadav. Even the NDA was gearing to put up former Speaker Inder Singh Namdhari for the prestigious job. This means the first trial for the Soren government could come over election of Speaker. Black send-off for Razi 8226; Governor Syed Sibtey Razi got a protest send-off on Thursday as boarded the flight for New Delhi. NDA supporters waved black flags as Razi entered Ranchi airport. Dozens of them, carrying party flags of the BJP and JDU, shouted 8216;8216;Rajyapal hai hai, rajyapal wapas jao8217;8217; as he boarded the flight. Editor Soren8217;s Press advisor 8226; Chief Minister Shibu Soren appointed Radheshyam Agrawal as his official Press Advisor. Agrawal is the owner-cum-editor of a Jamshedpur based Hindi daily 8212; Uditwani. 8212;ENS	nbsp;