Search for next Jharkhand CM on

Vijay Deo Jha Ranchi Saturday, January 10, 2009 Front Page

The political story of Jharkhand of the day opens with defeated Chief Minister Shibu Soren with another erstwhile Chief Minister Madhu Koda, who barely three months back was forced to make way for the former, along with their common Cabinet colleague Bandhu Tirkey camping in New Delhi to find a new Chief Minister for the State.

Soren's short lease on power was rudely snatched away by voters of Tamar. Now, three days later, the once-hallowed house of the Soren has suddenly appears to be fighting an even longer banishment from Jharkhand political centre-stage.

With each passing day, this story turns juicier - political parties add the spices of its taste - confusing but interesting, after all. On Friday evening Soren met in-charge of Jharkhand Congress Ajay Maken and discussed the way to short out the politico-constitutional deadlock of Jharkhand - a bonus that the voters of Tamar gave besides the stunning defeat of Soren.

Soren now deferred the matter and left the JMM to decide its meeting of the Central working committee scheduled to be held on Saturday. Both Soren and the UPA are left with no alternatives to replace him as the Chief Minister. Meanwhile, the Central and State leadership of the Congress is not willing to keep Soren at the helm of affairs any longer.

RJD Supreme Lalu Prasad wants Madhu Koda to take the rein but it is not accepted to Soren. Soren proposed the name of his Cabinet colleague Bandhu Tirkey but no consensus emerged as the RJD and the Congress have expressed their unwillingness towards him.

On Friday, it was the turn of the suspended BJP MLA Vishnu Prasad Bhaiya, now loyal to the JMM to present another amusing political recipe. The MLA who resigned as the MLA of Jamtara urged this crestfallen leader to contest from Jamtara and be the Chief Minister again. However, there was no taker of his offer when he submitted resignation letter to Soren (not to the Speaker) a month back with a piece of advise "do not trust Congress, do not go to Tamar; Jamtara is politically safe for you". "I have asked Guruji (Soren) to contest election from Jamtara and be the Chief Minister again and he assured me not to commit the mistake (expletive deleted). Let him return from Delhi and the matter would be finalized." There is all likelihood that the JMM central working committee might ask Shibu Soren to try his luck from Jamtara. Constitutionality and morality do not matter, it is politics.

Sitting in New Delhi it is time for Chief of Jharkhand Vikash Morcha Babulal Marandi to add his own potion of spice in form of constitutionality and morality in the politics.

"I will not hesitate from contesting from Jamtara if Soren continues to defile the politics and tries to stick to the power by contesting another elections just to remain in power …I do not rule out this possibility. The way politicians like Soren are becoming immoral in politics especially in Jharkhand I can't shun away from my responsibility," Marandi said this during a telephonic conversation with this correspondent.

While in Jharkhand Bhawan in New Delhi, Madhu Koda was quoted as saying on Friday "hamare paas sare MLA ka support hai or hum phir sarkar banane ki bat kar sakte hai. (We have the support of MLAs and we? can talk about the formation of the Government again.)

This is not that typical 'We' of the Hindu right wing - rather during his interaction with the media Koda referred we as himself and dropped enough hint that he nourished the ambition to take rein as the seventh Chief Minister of Jharkhand. Memories of the ignominious ouster of 2008 perhaps haunts the young Koda enough to keep him tethered to caution as he still not ready to open his strategy.

Backed by RJD supreme Lalu Prasad, Koda hopes that there could be no reason that could prevent him from becoming the Chief Minister. The Congress source added that the party would have no problem with Koda because he was more accessible for the Congress and its State in-charge Ajay Maken.

"We don't want 'President Rule' in the State, there should be a new Chief Minister and Soren must resign and even the Congress in-charge have asked them to short out the issue of Chief Minister ship otherwise the state would have to go under President Rule," said a senior Congress leader.

But for Soren problem is numerous and more daunting than Tamar. Soren have already made his intention known to resign, but leaving sufficient space for speculation, 'when'. Now he is in search for a faithful face within the JMM to take rein of the State. But the majority of the JMM would not like the idea of a non-tribal Chief Minister or a Chief Minister other than the JMM. "We are 17 in number in the Assembly and we can't be wished away as such. The party is clear cut in its opinion", JMM chief whip Mathura Prasad Mahto said.

The JMM insiders confided that a senior most tribal MLA of the party should be preferred for this job hinting at the Agriculture Minister Nalin Soren has emerged as a rallying point to replace Soren.

Buttressing the claim of Nalin Soren, the JMM sources said besides being a tribal he has administrative acumen to run the State as well as he has been a trusted lieutenant of Soren.

Curtain has not been raised over this political drama; till this report was filed the actors behind the stage were busy giving last shape to their political make-up and dialogues-both in New Delhi and Jharkhand.