Shibu Soren is set to become chief minister of Jharkhand.
Leaders of a new alliance comprising Sorens’s Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) called on Governor K. Sankaranarayanan and staked claim to form the
government. They submitted a list of 42 MLAs that they claimed supported the alliance. The House has 81 MLAs. The BJP and JMM each have 18 seats, while the AJSU has five.
“The governor seemed convinced of our majority and said he would invite us soon,” said an elated Soren. BJP legislators’ party leader, Raghuvar Das, said two legislators from the Janata Dal (United) would also join the alliance.
AJSU chief Sudesh Mahato said their support was unconditional. “We made no demands,” he said at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Sources said the JMM and the BJP would get three ministerial berths each, while the AJSU and JD(U) would get one each. There would be two deputy chief ministers, one each from the BJP and the AJSU.
The BJP’s C.P. Singh is likely to be appointed speaker of the House.
“We have great respect for Soren and wish him luck for a successful third tenure,” said the BJP’s Jharkhand-in-charge, Karuna Shukla.