Less than four months after Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda had resigned, paving the way for President’s Rule in the state, the UPA Government is contemplating to dissolve the Assembly and conduct elections as early as July this year.
Government sources said that based on inputs received from the state, the Union Home Ministry is drafting a note seeking the nod of the Cabinet to dissolve the Assembly, which has been kept in suspended animation since President’s Rule was imposed on January 18.
“The Union Cabinet will meet soon to decide on this issue and the election may be held before the six-month term of President's Rule in the state ends on July 18," revealed a senior official. Once the Cabinet gives a go-ahead, the Centre will ask the Election Commission to hold Assembly polls.
The UPA government is said to have opted to go for elections due to the absence of an alternative political coalition which could form the government in the state, despite desperate attempts by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), which had pulled out from the BJP-led coalition, leading to political instability in the state. BJP and JMM had 18 MLAs each in the 82-member state assembly in the Arjun Munda government.
Due to lack of trust in the unpredictable JMM, Congress did not venture to form the next government with the regional party.
