UPA considers RS poll win as mandate to form State Govt

Vijay Deo Jha Ranchi Monday, June 22, 2009

The UPA allies in the Jharkhand, which has been put under the President’s rule, had a last laugh after the results of the Rajya Sabha elections came out.

It has tempted them to interpret it as a mandate to form Government.With this robust logic the leaders of the State Congress, the JMM and independent MLAs rushed to the New Delhi, on Sunday, to convince the UPA chairperson—Sonia Gandhi—to allow the formation of the State Government.

“There seems to be a positive signal from the party high command and the chances to form the Government have become brighter, I think,” Congress legislator Sukhdeo Bhagat said gleefully. The JMM which till a week back made several assertions as the sole claimant for the post of the chief ministership laid down its claim even without a pout. “Kaun banega mukhya Mantri ye mundda nahi hai. ‘Janhit (people welfare) ke liye ek sarkar honi chahiye, hum log is ka prayatna kar rahe hai,” Mathura Mahto the chief whip of the party termed this essential for Jan-hit.

But Mahto could not answer that how come the JMM relinquished its claim over the CM post and why the party chief; Shibu Soren; accepted tutelage under the Congress. Soren held a close door meeting with few of the party legislators at his residence this afternoon.

The well-placed sources in the party said that Soren discussed the role and claim of his party if the government was formed in Jharkhand. “He is still undecided and unsure about the role of the JMM and the political space that the party will gain at a time when a Government will be formed in Jharkhand,” a senior party leader said wryly.

Even in the meeting a section of the leaders insisted the party should not dump its claim so easily if the Congress has come so openly to claim for the post of the Chief Minister. But there is something rotting in the JMM and the party insiders confirmed the foul smell in the close confine. There are so many heads in the JMM who want to wear the crown—Sudhir Mahto, Champai Soren, Nalin Soren, Dulal Bhuiya and many others.Now, Shibu Soren is not the contender for that post after the resigned from Jamatra Assembly constituency.

But Soren will hardly like that some body within the JMM should come out of the political kindergarten to become the chief minister and grow to his stature. Even if the JMM insists for its nominee; disgruntlement will tumble out quickly. Writ of Shibu Soren no longer runs so authentically, now, in the JMM, to control such political pandemics.

The Congress mandarins derived the best part of their strategy from the internal weakness of the JMM. Last time also the JMM fold could stand united over the name of Champai Soren for the post of the CM after Shibu Soren resigned from this post in the month of January. The Congress after exhausting the endurance of Shibu Soren and his party MLAs has now starting moving to install its own man as the head of the Government.

Within the Congress the state party president Pradeep Balmuchu and the Assembly speaker Alamgir Alam have started canvassing for the support of their candidature among the central leadership of the Congress.Sources close to Alam claimed that their leader will have the support of the political advisor of Sonia Gandhi.

More or less seven RJD legislators will also lend their support to Alam. Balmuchu will counter-balance it with the support of the independent MLAs. Both the claimants moved to New Delhi to initiate the process of the formation of the State Government.

For many a JMM MLAs a new government will provide a life line to their politics in the coming days. The JMM happily provided turf to the Congress and promised it will not complain.