Congress accuses BJP of 'greed for power'

The Congress's Jharkhand unit today accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of "greed for power" which, it said, has led the saffron party to put on hold withdrawal of support to the Shibu Soren government in the state.

The Congress's Jharkhand unit on Friday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of "greed for power" which, it said, has led the saffron party to put on hold withdrawal of support to the Shibu Soren government in the state.

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Alleging that the BJP was again "playing the game of numbers", a Congress release in Ranchi said, "Frequent change of decisions among the BJP and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has not only left Jharkhand reeling under a political crisis, but also lowered the dignity of democratic norms."

It accused the BJP of "greed for power ignoring principal problems like naxalism, electricity and water crisis and poverty in the state."

"As per its political strategy, the BJP has forced JMM to write the letter of apology and for government formation by the BJP," the Congress claimed.

Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) leader Radhakrishna Kishore claimed that JMM-LP leader Hemant Soren had met a few Congress Members of Legislative Assembly (MLA) on Thursday at the residence of Congress MLA Gopalnath Sahadeo.

Meanwhile, Congress leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Stephen Marandi, who was in the erstwhile Shibu Soren-led UPA government, told a press conference along with other PCC leaders that JMM leaders were feeling "suffocated" because of their party's alliance with the BJP.

"But they are unable to do anything, maybe due to the fear of the anti-defection law," said Marandi, who was a former JMM leader and broke up with Shibu Soren before the 2005 assembly elections after being denied party ticket.

Marandi was apparently referring to JMM MLAs Simon Marandi and Teklal Mahato's open criticism of the party leadership for going to the BJP after it withdrew support.