Hemant Soren stakes claim to form govt

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Hemant Soren on Tuesday staked his claim to form a new government in the state, which has been under President’s Rule since January.

Armed with letters of support from the Congress (13 MLAs), RJD (five) and Independents, Soren met Jharkhand Governor Syed Ahmed this evening claiming support of 43 MLAs in the 82-member state assembly. JMM has 18 MLAs.

The seven legislators are Arup Chatterji of Marxist Coordination Committee (MCC), Enos Ekka of Jharkhand Party (JP), Bandhu Tirkey, Geeta Koda - the wife of former chief minister Madhu Koda, Videsh Singh, Chamra Linda and Harinarayan Rai.

Soren was accompanied by his father and JMM chief Shibu Soren, Congress state president Sukhdeo Bhagat, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leaders and independent legislators.

"We have come together for development of the state,” he told reporters in Ranchi after meeting the governor.

Expected to be sworn-in as chief minister on Wednesday, Soren would lead the ninth government in the state that was carved out of Bihar 13 years ago.

Congress sources indicated that none of the Independents supporting the government were expected to be given Cabinet berths. Three ministers – one each from the JMM, Congress and the RJD – are expected to take oath along with Soren. In Delhi, Congress sources said that none of the central leaders of the party were expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new Jharkhand government.

According to the arrangement between Congress and the JMM, while the latter will hold the chief ministerial position in the state, it will share 10 out of 14 Lok Sabha seats in the state with the Congress in the next Lok Sabha elections.

The state was placed under President’s Rule on January 18, ten days after it plunged into political instability following the resignation of BJP leader and Chief Minister Arjun Munda.  The JMM had walked out of an alliance with the BJP.

Soren’s claim to form the government comes nine days before the six-month spell of President’s rule ends.

The 27-month old BJP-JMM government had plunged into turmoil after Soren, then a deputy chief minister, had submitted a charter of demands to Munda which included swapping of power.