Confusion in UPA as Vishnu Bhaiya resigns


Vijay Deo Jha RanchiSaturday, December 6, 2008


Speculation over the possible candidature of Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren whether he would contest from Tamar Assembly constituency or go for Jamtara; has become more interesting but more confounded after suspended BJP MLA from Jamtara, Vishnu Bhaiya handed over the copy of his resignation to Soren (not the Speaker) on Friday evening. He submitted the letter after the return of Soren from Godda.

"I am ready to vacate my seat so that Guruji can fight election from here.So I have submitted my resignation to him (Soren). He can forward this copy to the Speaker of the House whenever he wants", Bhaiya said while talking to The Pioneer.

Narrating the details that transpired between Soren and Bhaiya, well-placed sources said that the Chief Minister discussed some of his internal political compulsions with him. "Tamar or no Tamar was the theme of the meeting", sources said.

Even as State Congress president Pradeep Balmucchu was saying at a Press conference that the UPA unity decided to support Soren's candidature for Tamar assembly constituency; Soren was discussing his possible electoral strategy with Bhaiya.

Is this yet another move of Soren to keep his own UPA fold in confusion that has been exerting pressure upon him to contest election from Tamar instead Jamtara from where he wants to contest.

"We will see this", was the short and brief reaction from the side of the Congress. But the move has placed the UPA fold in confusion. Stating cautiously the spokesperson of the State Congress, Alok Kumar Dubey said: "The party and the UPA offered unequivocal support to Soren if he agreed to become the UPA candidate from Tamar…but we will take a further stand once the resignation of Bhaiya is accepted."

The undertone of the statement was the Congress would not like to gift away Jamtara constituency to Soren as the party lost the last election by a thin margin.

Technically speaking Bhaiya should have submitted his resignation to the Speaker of the State Assembly Alamgir Alam which he did not. Bhaiya on this said: "I have no grievances with the people of my constituency who responded faith in me by electing me from here."

Coming with a new political coinage Bhaiya said: "Santhal Pargana has been sulking on the margin and it is less developed…for the first time in the history of Jharkhand a true leader of Jharkhand who is from Santhal Pargana has come to take rein of the state. I submitted my resignation for this cause."


Stating further the MLA said that he was not leaving this seat for the Congress which was one of the reasons that he had submitted my resignation to Soren instead of the Speaker and he was now free to use it and there was no politics involved in it.