BJP, JMM tie knot in Jharkhand

Saffron party stakes claim to form govt with Soren support

The JMM offered “unconditional” support to the BJP after which its Legislature Party elected former Chief Minister Arjun Munda as its leader. JMM, Janata Dal (United), All Jharkhand Students’ Union and two independent MLAs have also extended their support to the BJP-led government.

Munda met Governor M O H Farooq and claimed the support of 45 legislators in a House with an effective strength of 81. The governor said he would look into it and convey his decision to the party.

“We have given a list of 45 MLAs to the governor requesting him to invite (newly elected BJP legislature party leader) Arjun Munda to form the new government. The governor said he would look into it and inform us,” BJP’s state unit President Raghuvar Das told reporters after meeting Farooq.

UPA options 

Congress top brass here discussed the evolving situation in Jharkhand, with Home Minister P Chidambaram briefing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Party President Sonia Gandhi about the political developments and options for United Progressive Alliance in the state.

 Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Defence Minister A K Antony were also present in the meeting of the party’s ‘core committee’.

 According to sources in the Congress, Chidambaram advocated a wait-and-watch policy for the party in Jharkhand, keeping in mind the troubled past of the BJP-JMM ties.

Earlier in the day, Chidambaram received a call from the Jharkhand governor who briefed him about Munda’s claim to form the next government in the state.

Governor Farooq is expected to send his report to the Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday.

Sources said the Centre would not come in the way of the BJP-JMM led alliance’s efforts to form a government in the state.

Congress Working Committee (CWC) Member K Keshav Rao told journalists that the party would not try to cobble together an alliance and stake claim to form the next government. Rao is in charge of the party’s affairs in Jharkhand.

“It is the prerogative of the governor to take a decision (on the claim staked by Munda). We hope he would be guided by his conscience and wisdom while taking a decision,” Rao said.