Congress to talk to Soren on Jharkhand government formation

The Congress on Wednesday said it would talk to Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Shibu Soren and seek his support for government formation in Jharkhand that seemed headed towards a hung assembly.

The Congress on Wednesday said it would talk to Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Shibu Soren and seek his support for government formation in Jharkhand that seemed headed towards a hung assembly.

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"I will be talking to him (Soren)," Congress general secretary and Jharkhand party in-charge K Keshav Rao told reporters here.

He said his party's priority was to form "an honest, stable government with zero tolerance to corruption".

Rao's comments came as the JMM, ahead in 17 seats and is likely to hold the key to government formation in the state, was jockeying for power.

JMM general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya said his party would support the political combine that would prop its head Soren as chief minister.

"We will support only those who will favour Shibu Soren as the new chief minister," Bhattacharya told IANS in Ranchi.

In trends available for the 81 seats, for which counting was on, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was ahead in 18 seats while the Congress and its partner, the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik, were leading in 24 constituencies.

Others, including Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), were leading in 21 seats. The RJD alone was leading in seven seats.

Senior Congress leader and union Minister for Food Processing Industries Subodh Kant Sahay said the JMM and the RJD were the "natural allies" of his party.