Kolhan to hog Munda Cabinet?
Monday | September 27, 2010

VIJAY DEO JHA

RANCHI

Chief Minister Arjun Munda was in a hurry to return to the State capital to give the finishing touches to much-awaited cabinet expansion in Jharkhand, but the central BJP directed him to stay for a couple of days to attend the meeting of the central election committee of the party.

An important meeting of the central election committee of the BJP will be held on Monday in New Delhi to discuss the final list of the BJP candidates for Bihar Assembly election

It is going to be, probably, the last meeting of central BJP to be attended by Munda as he would have to give up the post of national general secretary of the party following swearing-in as Chief Minister of Jharkhand.

Sources in the BJP said that the alliance partners have ironed out their differences over the allocation of portfolios and the number of berths in the ministry. The BJP might get four berths in the ministry, including the post of CM. Munda is quite keen to retain his trusted Barkuwar Gagrai in the ministry. Nevertheless, a section of party feels Gagrai’s inclusion will unreasonably tilt the balance of the ministry in the favour of Kolhan region since Munda belongs to the same region. Munda’s another trusted man Vaidynath Ram is also expected to find place in the ministry.

The entry of party MLA from Santhal Pargana division Arun Mandal is also expected; it is largely seen as an attempt to correct regional imbalances in the ministry formation. After all, Santhal Pargana has often been whining for not getting adequate representation in the previous coalition government led by Shibu Soren. Mandal’s entry in the ministry is also supported on the ground that it will strengthen the bond of the party with backward community that had slowly started inching away from the party.

But the very political mechanism of the party which has largely been debated in the party might come as a damper for another party MLA from Santhal Pargana division Satyanand Jha ‘Batul’ who once sought support from all ‘faction friend’ Prabhat Jha (Madhya Pradesh BJP president) to get entry in the ministry.

He may believe that his theatrics and histrionics, during floor test and outside, with which he defended and praised Munda’s leadership will pay dividend at last. But under the existing caste combination when a Brahmin — Dinesanand Goswami — has already been appointed as party president things appears tough for Batul.

It may appear cynical to announce that the coming days will bring more drought for party stalwart and Munda’s bete noire — Raghuwar Das. But Munda’s close aides confided that for Das it was quite unlikely to get a berth in the ministry even if he wishes so. Kolhan factor comes again.

“Can you accommodate three Kolhan figures in the ministry? Even if you drop Gagrai, the party organisation and the ministry will be biased in favour of Kolhan. It will be going to be a Jamshedpur centric ministry in such situation,” said a close aide of Munda.

Till central BJP work out a suitable accommodation plan for Das, Kolhan cauldron will keep on boiling.