Jharkhand — `BJP didn’t promise support for CM’s post to anybody’

NEW DELHI, OCT 23: The BJP today said that it had not promised support to anybody, including Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief Shibu Soren, on ...

NEW DELHI, OCT 23: The BJP today said that it had not promised support to anybody, including Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief Shibu Soren, on demands for the post of chief minister of the new state of Jharkhand.

Addressing mediapersons, BJP spokesman Jana Krishnamurthy said that MPs, MLAs and MLCs of the Jharkhand region had started discussions with the party leadership on whether the BJP should stake claim to forming the government in the state. There are 32 MLAs, seven MPs and five MLCs from the Jharkhand region of Bihar.

Asked if it was true that the JMM was not keen on supporting the BJP’s claim to the post of chief minister, Krishnamurthy merely said that the JMM’s stand would be “positive”. The BJP’s stand was that only the largest party could offer political stability.

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When it was pointed out that the BJP had not staked claim for the top post in Bihar in the last Assembly elections, conceding it instead to the Samata Party, he said that while it was true that the BJP had won the largest number of seats, it had been agreed that Nitish Kumar of the Samata Party would be the National Democratic Alliance’s nominee for chief ministership.

On the uncertain political situation in Goa, Krishnamurthy said that the BJP was closely watching the developments. “We will wait and watch the test of strength,” he added.