Ranchi, May 11: JMM asked BJP to share power with them in Jharkhand on 50:50 basis, two days after BJP said it would head the coalition for the rest of the tenure of the present house.Hemant said for the sake of stability and development of the state, it is up to BJP to think over the issue of sharing power on 50-50 basis.
Chief Minister Shibu Soren chaired a 3-hour-long legislature party meeting, his son Hemant Soren said the party would wait for BJP’s response to the sharing of power between the allies and would again discuss on the issue
on May 12, depending on BJP’s stand.
“During the meeting with BJP President Nitin Gadkari and others, we proposed sharing of power for 28 months each. But now, we have learnt that BJP is willing to govern the state for a full term,” Hemant, JMM legislative party leader, said. “For the sake of stability and development of the state, we gave chief ministership to BJP. And now, it is up to BJP to
think over the issue of sharing power on 50-50 basis,” he said.
Former BJP president Rajnath Singh prefers Arjun Munda who is the General Secretary in team Gadkari.
Meanwhile the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) wants a tribal for the top post but an attempt is on to convince JMM to drop this demand.
The BJP central leadership, which was said to be keen on having a non-tribal chief minister in Jharkhand, may have to settle for a tribal face to keep intact its support base as well as its flock of MLAs together.
Jharkhand has never had a non-tribal chief minister. Thirty-two per cent of the population in the state is tribal while 15 per cent are Muslims.
Though a section within BJP central leadership is keen that Yashwant Sinha. The BJP-JMM government in Jharkhand got destabilised when the BJP threatened to withdraw support to CM Shibu Soren when he voted against the Opposition in cut motions.
Although Soren apologised and his son offered support to a BJP Chief Minister, the JMM gradually changed its positions — from an honourable exit for Soren to sharing the CM’s post.
“Nothing will happen. They are just making the BJP run around in circles,” said a BJP leader belonging to Jharkhand.
Asked when Chief Minister Shibu Soren would resign,
Hemant said “let BJP choose its chief ministerial candidate
and clear its stand on the 50-50 proposal.”
Fourteen out of the party’s 18 MLAs attended the meeting this evening. “JMM legislative party meeting also felt that BJP should choose a tribal leader for its chief ministerial candidate. Now, it is on BJP to ensure political stability in the interest of the state,” Hemant said. He said BJP should run the state for 28 months and make way for JMM to assume power thereafter. Soren also said JMM had proposed five ministerial berths during selection of portfolios.
The demand by JMM comes a day ahead of the visit of BJP’s
central observers – Rajnath Singh and Anant Kumar – to Ranchi
to help BJP MLAs to choose a new chief minister. Meanwhile, senior JMM MLA Simon Marandi said two opinions emerged during the meeting. “One group was against realignment with BJP and another favoured re-arrangement,” he said.
–Agencies