Coalition grumbles, Opposition giggles

VIJAY DEO JHA

RANCHI   

Ahead of Monsoon Session Chief Minister Arjun Munda attempted to douse fire by sending out message to JMM where he reaffirmed his commitment for running coalition government on consensus basis. Top CMO sources said that Munda spoke to couple of JMM leaders including Deputy Chief Minister Hemant Soren a day back and wished that coalition partners would better display unity on the floor of the House rather than providing ammo to the Opposition.

But the JMM sources offered disturbing views over the message that may belie CM’s trust measures. JMM’s chronic complainers against the government and hardliners have been impressing upon their party bosses to resort to brinkmanship politics under which JMM MLAs might abstain from four days critical assembly session.

While JMM is sure to take part in the inaugural session of the assembly starting from Friday, a high level meeting is scheduled after the session. “Such steps can be taken to make BJP feel about our concern. They can’t take us lightly,” a top JMM leader said. 

Sources confided the CM was “Not at all happy the manner in which small and routine differences among ally partners were trumpeted and blown out of proportion.” The eleventh-hour postponement of cabinet meeting on Tuesday, JMM’s catalogues of complaints against government officials seem to have come as a shock for the government. Soren triggered more conflict by saying that one out of three keys of the government is dysfunctional. He did not name anybody but it was clearly inferred that a dysfunctional key meant the head of the coalition.

BJP national general secretary and state BJP in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan accepted that coalition partners might not be on the same page over several issues politically. But, he was quick to reject it a case of trust deficit. “A bit by-play takes place among coalition partners but this is not a serious issue,” Pradhan told The Pioneer.

Meanwhile, JMM sources said that the junior Soren was seething with anger and distrust and wanted greater say in governance. Publicly, the JMM has not enumerated about the kind of concession and package of greater say it would like to have. Key aides of Munda contended that the CM had always taken alliance partners in confidence. “He has been discussing issues with cabinet colleagues and two of his deputy Chief Ministers. He piloted and promoted key projects related with the departments under the JMM control. In a coalition government partners often exert pressure for more space. But you can’t expect a CM to be guided by diktats,” sources said.

The JMM has causes of concern and feels that the JMM will be pilloried by the Opposition over the Nagri land controversy during assembly debate. JMM feels that JMM’s Land Revenue Minister Mathura Mahto was deliberately appointed as chairman of committee to find solution to this problem. “JMM has already supported farmers who are agitating against land acquisition. During debate (Mathura) can’t go against the stand of the government. If he does he will be accused for disrespecting collective responsibility. It is not BJP but our party has to face Opposition’s brickbat,” JMM MLA Shashank Shekhar Bhokta said.

Meanwhile, state BJP legislative body meeting was convened on Thursday evening to draw a line to meet Oppositions’ challenges. The Opposition is sure to make best use of opportunity to fire salvo on the government and the BJP especially BJP minister Satyanand Jha ‘Batul’ who has landed in extramarital controversy. BJP will take a convenient plea that the minister can’t be forced to go before charges against him are proved. But BJP is not sure about the JMM that behaves unpredictably.