'BJP should stop J'Khand govt formation process'

Describing BJP's efforts to cobble up numbers through "opportunistic alliances" to form government in Jharkhand as "misadventure", its MP Shatrughan Sinha on Saturday suggested party leaders stop the exercise immediately in the eastern state.

Describing BJP's efforts to cobble up numbers through "opportunistic alliances" to form government in Jharkhand as "misadventure", its MP Shatrughan Sinha on Saturday suggested party leaders stop the exercise immediately in the eastern state.

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"The Jharkhand misadventure (of forming government) has attracted bad name for the BJP. This exercise should be stopped immediately to check further dent in the saffron party's image," Sinha, BJP MP from Patnasaheb, told PTI.

Senior party leaders like LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj had been against forming a "unprincipled and opportunistic" government in the mineral-rich state from the beginning but some party leaders driven by business interest forced the party to dabble in the futile exercise, he said.

The actor-turned-politician, who has been BJP's star campaigner for long, refused to identify those leaders.

He said it was wrong not to go for government in Jharkhand under the leadership of experienced and respected leader Yashwant Sinha whose name was proposed by Advani.

Sinha suggested that BJP stop the exercise of government formation in Jharkhand immediately to maintain its high moral ground of being a party with a difference otherwise it could have adverse impact in neighbouring Bihar where Assembly elections are due later this year.

Fresh Assembly polls in Jharkhand seems to be the best solution to stop horse-trading for formation of government there, Sinha said.