Shibu resigns from Jamtara: chances of government formation in Jharkhand appears bleak

Vijay Deo Jha Ranchi Sunday May 31

The JMM chief Shibu Soren aka Disom guru is not troubled with ‘to be or not be’ mindset anymore about the prospect of the formation JMM government in Jharkhand headed by him.
On Saturday, he preferred not to venture further in the uncertain zone—between government and no government—after he tendered his resignation as MLA from Jamtara. If there was a faint hope of the JMM led government; his resignation made the prospect bleak.

Soren who has been in Bokaro submitted his resignation through his emissary Suprio Bhattacharya; this afternoon; to the office of state assembly Speaker. Soren had won parliamentary election from Dumka and assembly by-election from Jamtara.

Soren played safe by opting central politics rather than taking burden of cobbling majority in a house of suspended animation; and precarious number game; which left with barely nine months to complete its term. But the local JMM leaders have not left claim so far.

If proof were required, Suprio offered it this afternoon. “Guruji is not wiling to head the government in Jharkhand, okay, but the JMM will insist and work for the formation of a government that will be headed by a JMM man only,” he claimed.

There was none in the Congress to smile or to frown to this ascertain. But a mild rebuff to this claim came from the side of senior JMM leader and former MP Hemlal Murmu. “Ye sab bekar ki batein hai; Sarkar banane me koi dilchaspi nahi le raha hai, Congress bhi nahi (It is non-sense, nobody is taking interest in forming government; even Congress too.)

Hemlal blamed: “None of the central Congress leaders invited Soren for a just and honourable talk to form government.” And he feels pain for smaller parties like the JMM which are often treated by the bigger parties, read Congress, as an ant on their sleeve. So far there is no indication of the induction of Soren in the union cabinet, a fact that annoyed the JMM.

For Hemlal chapter is close and for Suprio the central working committee of the party will meet within few days to draw further strategy in this regard.

The Congress on the other hand is playing its card smartly. Only some few days back the state Congress leaders suddenly became active in government formation exercise.

The assembly speaker Alamgir Alam along with JMM leader Sudhir Mahto moved to News Delhi where they met senior Congress leader Pranav Mukharjee on Friday.

On his part the state Congress president Pradeep Balmuchu issued statement about the possibility of government formation. But the Congress insiders said that such claims and hope were not able to graduate beyond the media column and customary political statements.

“If Alam has shown his interest as such the Congress will surely calculate the loss and benefit before supporting government formation,” a close aide of Balmuchu said. The loss it suffered in the general election as the leaders themselves admitted to decision to support bad government, twice, in the state routed the party.

At the same time the Congress would never mind to form government provided the JMM accepts its claim over the post of the Chief Minister and extend its support. The JMM simply abhors this idea.

Nevertheless, Alam who could be nourishing ambition to be Chief Minister is stated to have extended a different logic. “If Congress suffered it could be recouped in the coming days by forming government and control governance directly to start some populist measures to strengthen its base before assembly election,” a close aide of Alam said.

But majority of Congress and JMM MLAs are quite anxious to restore the assembly. Barely left with nine months to face the voters they really want to execute some developmental works in their constituencies with the help of MLA fund. Will their party alakaman listen to them?