J’khand heads for Prez Rule

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With major political outfits in Jharkhand failing to cobble up a simple majority, the state seems to be heading for a fresh spell of President’s rule. Governor Mr M.O.K. Farook on Monday sent his report to the Centre and Union Cabinet is likely to meet on Tuesday to take a final decision. JMM chief Mr Shibu Soren resigned from the chief minister’s post on Sunday after failing to gather required number before the scheduled confidence vote in the state Assembly.
After receiving the governor’s report home minister Mr P. Chidambaram met Congress president Sonia Gandhi this evening. Mr Farooq is understood to have recommended President’s Rule in the state.
In the 82-member state Assembly, elections to which were held in December last year, the JMM with 18 MLAs formed a coalition government comprising of 18 BJP MLAS, AJSU-5, JD(U)-2 and two Independents. BJP and JDU pulled out support from the JMM-led government last week. The Congress has 14 members and Babulal Marandi led Jharkhand Vikad Manch has 11 members in the state Assembly. For simple majority, any outfit or a combination would need a strength of 42 legislators.
Sources in the Congress were of the view that since elections for Rajya Sabha from the state are to take place next week, it could become a bargaining point for the JMM.
The Congress spin doctors are in favour of a brief spell of central rule, while keeping the Assembly in the suspended animation.
Congress, however, was under pressure from its state unit for exploring possibilities of forming an alternative government. But the central leadership of the party was against tying up with “unpredictable” Soren.
AICC in-charge for the state Mr K. Keshava Rao categorically said that the party did not have sufficient numbers to provide a stable and honest government there.