Détente for Home: Soren meets Mahato
Vijay Deo Jha
When a film actor says that he is looking for a good script that means he is out of the market. And when a minister claims that he is not obsessed with a particular department; it means he is not getting this.
When the deputy Chief Minister and AJSU Chief Sudesh Mahato said that he never demanded Home portfolio it became instantly clear that his pressure tactics failed to impress upon the Chief Minister Shibu Soren to give Home to him (Mahato).
Not happy over the allocation of portfolios specially when Soren kept Home Department with him, Mahato on Wednesday held in-camera meeting with three other AJSU MLAs. It led to a stand-off between Soren and Mahato.
It took three breezy hours of Soren on Thursday morning to convince his deputy Chief Minister to drop his demand. All it happened at Mahato's Kanke residence where Soren made a surprised visit along with his son and MLA Hemant Soren without blaring chief ministerial cavalcades.
With fine morning tea, two bowls of custard and some tilkuts dispute was resolved. Soren emerged from the negotiation room along with Mahato and termed it a courtesy visit on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. "There is no dispute. People want us to perform, we must ensure that we work for the promises we made, that will be our main task," Soren said to the media.
Mahato also aired peace-making note denying that he ever demanded Home portfolio for himself. "I am not one who demanded Home…and I am not dying for that. Who gets what is the prerogative of the Chief Minister. My sole concern is how to run the government based on a Common Minimum Programme (CPM). CM has assured me to form a committee very soon comprising coalition partners"
Sources both in the AJSU and the JMM confided that Soren struck a tactical deal with Mahato. "Instead Home, Mahato is likely to be allotted the department of Rural Development. Soren had an elaborate discussion over it. Besides it there might be a minor adjustment in the departments to keep Mahato happy. But please note it is not at the cost of Home ," a close confidant of Soren said.
Though official sources were quite unable to testify the deal, it was party sources that had field day. Parley between Soren and Mahato continued for three hours and sources quoted Mahato as saying that the AJSU must get an honourable position in the government. Mahato is reported to have submitted a list of demands which Soren assured to look into in the coming days.
The BJP is the major alliance partner in Soren led NDA-JMM-AJSU government where Raghuwar Das holds the position of Deputy Chief Minister. Das on Wednesday persuaded Mahato to relinquish his tough stands over Home and others. He offered his mediation between Soren and Mahato which bore result this morning when Soren made unscheduled visit.
BJP insiders said that the party was not in favour of supporting Mahato's war for Home. "If you are the Home Minister that means you are number two in the government. If Mahato is elevated as the Home Minister that will automatically reduce the BJP as the junior most alliance partner in the government despite having 18 MLAs," a senior BJP leader said.
He ended with note of caution that if the CM is denied Home portfolio it really sends a wrong signal among the public.
For time being the State Government got respite. But the JMM is wary over growing demand of the AJSU. "G5 has resurfaced in the state politics again…we need to search friends and allies politically and personally if this government is to continue," a senior JMM leader said.
Vijay Deo Jha
When a film actor says that he is looking for a good script that means he is out of the market. And when a minister claims that he is not obsessed with a particular department; it means he is not getting this.
When the deputy Chief Minister and AJSU Chief Sudesh Mahato said that he never demanded Home portfolio it became instantly clear that his pressure tactics failed to impress upon the Chief Minister Shibu Soren to give Home to him (Mahato).
Not happy over the allocation of portfolios specially when Soren kept Home Department with him, Mahato on Wednesday held in-camera meeting with three other AJSU MLAs. It led to a stand-off between Soren and Mahato.
It took three breezy hours of Soren on Thursday morning to convince his deputy Chief Minister to drop his demand. All it happened at Mahato's Kanke residence where Soren made a surprised visit along with his son and MLA Hemant Soren without blaring chief ministerial cavalcades.
With fine morning tea, two bowls of custard and some tilkuts dispute was resolved. Soren emerged from the negotiation room along with Mahato and termed it a courtesy visit on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. "There is no dispute. People want us to perform, we must ensure that we work for the promises we made, that will be our main task," Soren said to the media.
Mahato also aired peace-making note denying that he ever demanded Home portfolio for himself. "I am not one who demanded Home…and I am not dying for that. Who gets what is the prerogative of the Chief Minister. My sole concern is how to run the government based on a Common Minimum Programme (CPM). CM has assured me to form a committee very soon comprising coalition partners"
Sources both in the AJSU and the JMM confided that Soren struck a tactical deal with Mahato. "Instead Home, Mahato is likely to be allotted the department of Rural Development. Soren had an elaborate discussion over it. Besides it there might be a minor adjustment in the departments to keep Mahato happy. But please note it is not at the cost of Home ," a close confidant of Soren said.
Though official sources were quite unable to testify the deal, it was party sources that had field day. Parley between Soren and Mahato continued for three hours and sources quoted Mahato as saying that the AJSU must get an honourable position in the government. Mahato is reported to have submitted a list of demands which Soren assured to look into in the coming days.
The BJP is the major alliance partner in Soren led NDA-JMM-AJSU government where Raghuwar Das holds the position of Deputy Chief Minister. Das on Wednesday persuaded Mahato to relinquish his tough stands over Home and others. He offered his mediation between Soren and Mahato which bore result this morning when Soren made unscheduled visit.
BJP insiders said that the party was not in favour of supporting Mahato's war for Home. "If you are the Home Minister that means you are number two in the government. If Mahato is elevated as the Home Minister that will automatically reduce the BJP as the junior most alliance partner in the government despite having 18 MLAs," a senior BJP leader said.
He ended with note of caution that if the CM is denied Home portfolio it really sends a wrong signal among the public.
For time being the State Government got respite. But the JMM is wary over growing demand of the AJSU. "G5 has resurfaced in the state politics again…we need to search friends and allies politically and personally if this government is to continue," a senior JMM leader said.
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