Nothing less than CM's post, Soren bargains hard: BJP may agree
Ranchi:There were reports that Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Shibu Soren might meet the Governor to discuss the formation of the new government in the state. It has been three days now, after the results of the polls for the Jharkhand State Assembly elections threw
up all sorts of possibilities with no alliance in a position to form a government
of its own in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly. Sibu Soren's Jharkhand Mukti
Morcha (JMM) has surprised everyone by winning 18 seats, and he could play the
role of kingmaker. A confident Soren said on Thursday that he wants nothing less
than the post of the Chief Minister. "We are the single largest party. We should get
a chance to form the government. Others can come and support us if they want to,"
Soren said. Soren has already shown his inclination towards the Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) asserting that he never called the party communal in the past. Sources
claim that if Soren is promised the Chief Minister's post, he would join hands
with the Congress and stop pursuing Babulal Marandi. Meanwhile, Jharkhand Vikas
Morcha (JVM) leader said on Thursday, "We are perfectly capable of forming and
running a government without Soren's support." But the Congress desperately wants
to avoid depending on the support of independents and the other smaller parties.
There are reports that the former Jharkhand Chief minister Arjun Munda and
Congress leader Subodh Kanth Sahai will be going to Delhi on Friday to meet their
respective high commands. Arjun Munda said on Thursday, "We believe our
mandate is to sit in the Opposition. We don't want to form a government." With the
kind of reports coming in, and the responses from various political leaders of the
state, it appears that government formation in Jharkhand will take a few more days.
