Cong announces support for JMM,may get post of Speaker

The Congress on Friday formally announced its support to the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha

The Congress on Friday formally announced its support to the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha to form a government in Jharkhand and enter into an alliance with the Shibu Soren-led party in five states for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Hemant Soren,sources said,is set to stake claim for forming the government soon.

The Congress would join the government in Jharkhand and may even land the post of the Speaker,sources said.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi had been wary of teaming up with the JMM given it tainted image,but relented after the JMM offered to give lions share of the Lok Sabha seats to it. The Congress decided to shed its moral high ground and take the practical politics route with an eye on the general elections after the JMM agreed to give 10 Lok Sabha seats to the Congress out of the total 14 in the state. JMM will contest from four seats. The Congress president,however,chose not to meet Soren junior,who has been camping in Delhi for the past three days.

The two parties will be in alliance in Orissa,West Bengal,Bihar and Chhattisgarh apart from Jharkhand.

Given the emergence of mining scandals in Jharkhand,the Congress said the new government will ensure that the tribals and other weaker sections are not adversely impacted by and benefit more substantially from lawful mining activities.

The Congress will extend its support to the JMM if it stakes a claim to form a government in Jharkhand in the next few days. If and when such a government is formed,the Congress and JMM will work together to provide an administration that will enforce the rule of law without fear of favour, a nuanced statement by general secretary in charge of Jharkhand B K Hariprasad said after a meeting with Hemant Soren.

Soren said the agreement between the two parties is to form a coalition government and Congress has assured full support.

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Congress sources said the party has extended its support to the JMM and it is the latters responsibility to obtain the rest of the numbers. The JMM and Congress,which have 18 and 13 MLAs respectively,will still need the support of 11 more legislators to form a government in the 81-member assembly.

The RJD which has five MLAs is set to extend its support and is likely to join the government. JDU,its arch-rival in neighbouring Bihar,may ask its two members to support the government from outside. Party sources said the Congress has left it to the JMM to engage with the JDU and RJD because the Congress is still undecided about its alliance partner in Bihar.

The Congress and JMM were racing against time as the Presidents Rule which was imposed in January after the fall of the BJP-led government is to expire on July 18.