New Delhi, May 01: Aspiring to lead the coalition government in Jharkhand with its own nominee as the Chief Minister, the BJP has put on hold its earlier decision to withdraw support to the Shibu Soren Government in the state.
The BJP parliamentary board on Friday decided to summon NDA leaders in Jharkhand, including Hemant Soren (JMM) and Raghuvar Das (BJP), to Delhi for consultations before taking a final decision.
The meeting between BJP president Nitin Gadkari and the Jharkhand leaders will be held on Saturday and thereafter the BJP parliamentary board will meet to put its stamp of approval on their decision.
Sources said the BJP was keen to make Yashwant Sinha the Chief Minister with Hemant Soren his deputy.
With elections to the Bihar Assembly are slated for the year-end, the BJP hopes that by making Sinha the Jharkhand CM will help wooing the upper castes in the neighbouring state.
However, the JMM leadership is pitching for Arjun Munda, a tribal. Deputy Chief Minister Raghuvar Das from the OBC community is also actively lobbying for the coveted post.
–Agencies–