Jharkhand on Tuesday came under Central rule with President Pratibha Patil accepting a recommendation of the Union Cabinet after the Congress and the BJP gave up efforts to form an alternative government following the resignation of Chief Minister Shibu Soren.
The Assembly will be kept in suspended animation during President's rule, which has been imposed for a second time in two years, a Rashtrapati Bhavan official said.
A meeting of the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, had in the morning recommended to the President imposition of Central rule on the basis of the report of Jharkhand Governor M.O.H. Farooq to the Centre on Monday.
Mr. Farooq is understood to have recommended clamping of Central rule after he met leaders of major political parties in Ranchi. The Congress and the BJP had both indicated their inability to form an alternative government in the State. The Soren government was reduced to a minority on May 24 when the BJP, with 18 MLAs and the JD(U) with two, withdrew support to it.
