Jharkhand heading towards president's rule

Jharkhand appears heading for president's rule with the incumbent Madhu Koda government being reduced to a minority and JMM lacking the numbers to form the next government.

All eyes are now on the Governor Syed Sibtey Razi, whom the beleaguered Chief Minister would be meeting in the afternoon. "The Chief Minister is meeting the Governor today," a close aid of Koda said.

"JMM is holding a crucial meeting of all party MLAs and MPs to chalk out the next plan of action. We are making exercises to form the next government. The situation would be clear in a day or two," former deputy Chief Minister of the state and JMM MLA Sudhir Mahto told PTI.

Mahto had resigned yesterday from the cabinet after the party withdrew support to the government.

Two Jharkhand ministers--Bhanu Pratap Sahi and HRD Minister Bandhu Tirkey yesterday called on Soren to find a 'middle path' to resolve the impasse.

Amid reports that senior JMM leaders would be meeting the UPA leaders in Delhi, party general secretary Hemlal Murmu today clarified, "There is no immediate plan to visit Delhi."

Murmu, however, claimed "All those who are with Koda will fall in line and support us ultimately. We are going to form the government."

Earlier Stephen Marandi, deputy chief minister in the Koda government and an Independent retorted, "If Soren is insisting upon making way for the President rule in the state, we are ready for it."

Water Resource Minister Kamlesh Singh had also contradicted Soren's claim that the UPA has asked Koda to resign. "No instruction has come from UPA leadership regarding any change of guard in the state," Singh said hinting that independent ministers may visit the national capital to meet senior UPA leaders over the matter.

Source : Business Standard