Ainosh gets coalition dharma lesson from Soren

Rajiv/Vijay Deo Jha Ranchi Sunday, December 14, 2008

Deputy Chief Minister Stephen Marandi and HRD Minister Bandhu Tirkey are on their mission to persuade their Cabinet colleague and president of the breakaway faction of Jharkhand Party (JP), Ainosh Ekka, to withdraw Raja Peter from the electoral fray of Tamar.

Even Soren tried for a patch-up with his beleaguered Minister and called him up at his official residence on Saturday. The sources present there confided that Soren wanted Ekka to withdraw Peter as the issue portrayed the UPA in bad light and was against the spirit of coalition dharma.

Credible sources hinted Peter could be withdrawn. Ekka wanted not to be held responsible if the former decided to contest the election as an Independent candidate. Peter has clarified his stand to contest election as an Independent candidate. He is under pressure from his own party not to withdraw Peter.

But the impasse seems to continue with the Minister adding “nothing has changed so far” while speaking to The Pioneer. Ekka is looking forward to a “just and honourable solution” and is apparently peeved at the demarche served on him by Soren.

Soren had said: “Remove Peter or you (Ekka) will be thrown out of the Cabinet.” The close aide of Ekka said that Soren issued a politically blunt caveat on the advice of the president of the state Congress, Pradeep Balmuchu, and one of the ministerial colleagues of Ekka.

The UPA is still hopeful of coming out with some political solution to this problem. Speaking on this, Balmuchu said: “We are working on a political solution.” The UPA is treading cautiously over this issue, said one of the MLAs of the Congress. The UPA would wait for December 15 before it finally sacks Ekka from Cabinet.