While JMM leaders, still working on cobbling up a new government in Jharkhand, on Saturday sought more time from governor Syed Ahmed before staking claim, opinion in the state Congress is split as one group of MLAs advocated President’s Rule.
Hemant Soren, the JMM leader and party chief Sibu Soren’s son who was one of the two deputy chief ministers in the BJP-led alliance government, claimed in Jharkhand capital Ranchi that 43 of the state’s 81 MLAs supported an alternative government with the JMM and the Congress in it. “There are still possibilities for an alternative government being formed. We urged the Governor to explore these possibilities and not to dissolve the Assembly,” he said after seeing Syed.
Rajendra Singh, senior Congress MLA and leader of Opposition in the Assembly, also met Syed along with some MLAs and requested him not to dissolve the Assembly.
“Nobody in Jharkhand wants President’s Rule when it is still two years before the current Assembly’s term expires. Our party’s decision on an alternative government will be taken by the central leaders,” he told journalists.
But Chandra Shekhar Dubey, a senior Congress MLA, said President’s Rule appeared to be the only option left in the current political turmoil. “A decision on the issue, however, will be taken by our central leaders,” he added. Congress sources said Dubey might be voicing the opinion of about half of the party’s 13 MLAs.