Confident Soren to meet Sonia today

“The Independents are ready to support me. Congress and other UPA leaders too are ready to back me. I will meet the Congress president and other UPA leaders here,” said Soren, on his arrival in New Delhi.

Party sources said Soren was likely to meet the Congress president on Thursday. The JMM chief will also seek a meeting with RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav to secure the support of his seven MLAs. Lalu’s support is crucial as it is widely believed that he is against Soren’s candidature for the CM’s post.

However, JMM sources claimed that Lalu had agreed to back Soren, following a meeting with Sonia’s political secretary Ahmed Patel. “Patelji has told us that Lalu has agreed and we just need to meet him once and seek his support”, said a JMM leader.

“The Congress will back Soren like a rock. We will make efforts to make him the Chief Minister,” said AICC secretary Abdul Manan in Ranchi today. A disturbed Madhu Koda urged that a UPA meeting be called to clear the air.

JMM leaders said they would urge Sonia to direct Chief Minister Koda to step down before any trust vote. “Guruji will stake claim in a couple of days. A trust vote may not take place at all, and maybe I will be in a position to declare the good news tomorrow itself,” said JMM MP Hemlal Murmu.

Unlike the past, the JMM is going all out to woo the Independents this time. “Why should the Independents not support us? None of them want early elections and, most importantly, we are ready to give them due recognition,” said Murmu.