The Hindu : Front Page : JMM withdraws support to Koda government

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Monday, Aug 18, 2008
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JMM withdraws support to Koda government

UPA coalition government in Jharkhand reduced to minority

Koda confident that a way will be found out of the present crisis
BJP for fresh elections

Photo: PTI

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha president Shibu Soren arrives to attend a meeting in Ranchi on Sunday. —

Ranchi: The 23-month-old United Progressive Alliance coalition government in Jharkhand was reduced to a minority on Sunday night after the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha withdrew its support in pursuit of its agenda to get Chief Minister Madhu Koda replaced by its supremo Shibu Soren.

Executing his threat made on August 12 that the JMM would pull out if Mr. Koda was not removed, Mr. Soren handed over the letter of withdrawal of support to Governor Syed Sibtey Razi after day-long deliberations in the party. He was accompanied by three of the five JMM MPs and all 17 MLAs of the party.

In a House of 81, the coalition government had a wafer-thin majority with the support of 42 MLAs, but after the 17 JMM legislators pulled out, Mr. Koda, an Independent, was in trouble. Besides the Congress (9) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (7) lending support to the UPA coalition from outside, five Independents and four legislators of smaller parties were backing the government.

“The administration’s misgovernance was having its effect and we could not carry the Koda baggage any more,” Mr. Soren told journalists after withdrawing support.

However, Mr. Koda expressed confidence that a way would be found out of the present crisis and said he would consult the UPA’s central leadership.

Three of the JMM Ministers — Deputy Chief Minister Sudhir Mahto, Agriculture Minister Nalin Soren and Revenue Minister Dulal Bhuyan — also handed over their resignations.

Asked whether he had staked claim to the chief ministership, Mr. Soren said it would depend on the Governor’s final decision in the matter.

In its letter to Mr. Razi, the JMM had requested him that the possibility of formation of an alternative government should be explored.

The JMM had backed the UPA government at the Centre in the crucial trust vote last month in an apparent deal with the Congress, under which Mr. Soren was to be made the Chief Minister again.

Mr. Rizvi said he would go by the Constitution. The term of the Assembly ends in March 2010.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, having 30 MLAs and the backing of seven legislators of its ally Janata Dal (United), indicated that it would favour fresh elections. “We want fresh elections in the State,” said party’s Jharkand unit chief P.N. Singh.

The BJP had already ruled out support to either Mr. Soren or Mr. Koda.

“We have burnt our hands once with the independents and there is no chance of our party siding with the JMM. We prefer to go for polls rather than experimenting with new formations,” party vice-president Yashwant Sinha said. — PTI

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