Tags:
Journalism of Courage
The Shibu Soren-led government was reduced to a minority on Monday afternoon after the BJP withdrew support to it. Jharkhand Governor M O H Farook has given Shibu Soren time till May 31 to prove his majority on the floor of the House.
Soren who is an MP was supposed to get elected to the Assembly by June 30,failing which he would anyway have to resign as Chief Minister.
A delegation led by the BJPs state unit president and Deputy Chief Minister Raghuvar Das and its national general secretary Arjun Munda met the Governor and handed over a letter withdrawing support. The party deemed it fit to withdraw support as Soren had backtracked on a power-sharing deal he had okayed with us, Munda said in Ranchi.
A defiant Soren refused to resign. We are in touch with the Congress. We hope to form the government afresh with the support of the Congress and its allies,including the RJD. The Congress has promised me a ministerial berth in the Union Cabinet, he said.
The Congress,meanwhile,was preparing to throw its hat in the ring. The ruling party at the Centre would,however,have an alternative coalition arrangement only if the JMM relinquishes its claim over chief ministership,said sources.
We are watching the developments. We are putting our minds together to save Jharkhand from collapse, AICC in-charge of Jharkhand K Keshav Rao told reporters in New Delhi.
While withdrawing support,the BJP has decided to put a halt to all efforts for government formation in the state. An overwhelming feeling in the party now is that playing into the hands of the capricious JMM chief has only affected its credibility and is seen as a loss of face.
The party was divided from day one on the question of reviewing its withdrawal of support to the JMM government after Soren voted in favour of the UPA in the cut motion. With BJP chief Nitin Gadkari pushing for a gamble and the RSS backing him,the skeptics in the party played along half-heartedly.
With Soren playing truant and the state leadership rooting for withdrawal of support,senior leaders Rajnath Singh got in touch with Gadkari who is away in Spain. Sources said Gadkari urged his predecessor to take a call after eliciting the view of all Parliamentary Board members.
Singh first got in touch with L K Advani and then spoke to all Parliamentary Board members over the phone on Sunday night.
Enough is enough was the unanimous view and the state leadership was directed to meet the Governor and withdraw support, a senior leader told The Indian Express.
