The government on Thursday decided to recommend imposition of Central Rule in Jharkhand to President Pranab Mukherjee, while keeping the Assembly in suspended animation. The state is now set to have a brief period of Central Rule, as chief minister Arjun Munda had resigned following withdrawal of support by alliance partner JMM.
According to sources close to the meeting, the Union Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, discussed and accepted the report of Jharkhand governor Syed Ahmed, who favoured imposition of President’s Rule while keeping the 82-member state Assembly in suspended animation.
The governor’s recommendation was made in his second report to the Centre on the political situation in the wake of Mr Munda’s resignation. The BJP chief minister, while tendering his resignation, had sought dissolution of the Assembly and fresh elections in the state.
Jharkhand, which was created in 2000, has been placed under President’s Rule twice.
The principal Opposition BJP, while reacting to the Centre’s decision, reiterated its demand of early elections in the state. “We are in favour of elections in Jharkhand. The government should declare elections first,” BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.
The present political instability erupted on January 8 when the BJP’s ruling coalition partner JMM, in a letter to the governor, formally withdrew its support to the 28-month-old government pushing it into a minority.
In the Assembly, the BJP and JMM have 18 members each. The Munda government had the support of six members of All-Jharkhand Students’ Union, two of JD(U), two Independents and one nominated member who has voting right in a trial of strength.
The Opposition Congress has a total of 13 members, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha(P) 11 and RJD 5 in the Assembly. CPI-ML(L), Marxist Coordination Party, Jharkhand Party (Ekka), Jharkhand Janadhikar Manch and Jai Bharat Samta Party have one member each besides an Independent.