Five dissident ministers of the ruling NDA in Jharkhand today demanded the dismissal of CM Babulal Marandi.‘‘We want a change in the state leadership,’’ said dissident ministers — JD-U’s Lalchand Mahato (Energy), Samata Party’s Baccha Singh (Urban Development), Jaleshwar Mahato (PWD), Madhu Singh (Revenue) and Ramesh Singh Munda (Excise) — here today.However, the BJP rejected the demand saying: ‘‘It is not acceptable.’’ Marandi himself has refused to meet or talk to any of the dissidents. Minutes before the press conference, the five ministers held a private meeting at Lalchand’s residence and came out with a communique signed by each one of them.‘‘In the interest of the state, we have been demanding that the power to post and transfer IAS and IPS officers be vested with the Cabinet. But the CM termed it as bakwas. So we are going to convey our sentiments to our party high command demanding change of leadership in the state before the Budget Session of the Assembly,’’ states the communique.
