Soren adamant on becoming CM

NEW DELHI/RANCHI: Jharkhand appeared headed for a spell of central rule with the UPA leadership not keen on presiding over any change of guard in the state, given the tough task of convincing eight Independent legislators to support Shibu Soren as chief minister in place of Madhu Koda.

Brushing niceties aside, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha boss Soren bluntly told UPA leaders at a meeting here on Tuesday that he wanted the top post for himself and — as the alliance's largest party as well as the state's tallest leader — he had a "right" to demand so.

Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal, which prop up the Koda government from outside, told Soren that they had nothing against his claim, but asserted that it would be his job — not theirs — to convince the eight Independents for a change of leadership. This could prove to be the end of Disom Guru's second chance to steer a state created in 2000 after five decades of a movement that became synonymous with him.

Koda himself is an Independent and the rest eight are his ministers. The JMM, with 17 MLAs, has three representatives in the cabinet, stretching it to the maximum permissible limit of 12. Political parties are so precariously placed in the 82-member Assembly that Independents must support any UPA regime lest it crumbles.
Congress with nine members and RJD with seven take the UPA's strength in the House to 42.

The UPA leadership, content with the status quo in Jharkhand, is not keen to prick either side, considering that while JMM supported Manmohan Singh during the July 22 trust vote, RJD chief Lalu Prasad has always backed Koda as CM.

Soren's unpredictable ways — he insists that besides the CM's post, JMM would get two ministerial berths at Centre — could be behind government deferring a session of Parliament to avoid any embarrassment from JMM even though many crucial economic legislations are awaiting passage.

Till recently, the Congress spearheaded an oust-Koda campaign in Jharkhand but the party's state in-charge Ajay Maken was told to go slow as BJP stormed to power in Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh. But Congressmen like Union minister Subodh Kant Sahay, state party chief Pradeep Kumar Balmuchu and senior leader Niel Tirkey still wanted a change.

Sahay, who was present at Tuesday's meeting, is believed to have reminded Soren of the campaign and JMM's lukewarm response to it then. But sticking to his guns after the meeting, Soren announced that the UPA leadership has already asked Koda to resign "at the earliest" as he (Soren) was to be the CM. "If that does not happen, we will withdraw support," he warned.

JMM's five MPs and all MLAs are slated to meet in Ranchi on August 17 to take a final call. But deputy CM Stephen Marandi, Soren's trusted friend of years who quit JMM to contest as an Independent, is opposed to any change. Marandi said in Ranchi that all eight Independents were against any change of guard. Koda, too, insisted his government was safe. Asked about the eight Independents, Soren said no one was against him.

Congress leaders said the matter was yet to be decided at the highest level in the party as RJD chief Lalu Prasad clarified he had no objection to Soren becoming CM provided everyone was taken along.

Source : Times Of India