Jharkhand chief minister Arjun Munda was asked by Governor Syed Sibte Razi on Wednesday to prove his majority in the Assembly on or before September 15, principal secretary to the governor Amit Khare said.
The chief minister had called on the Governor in the afternoon - on a day of hectic political activity triggered by the resignations of four ministers. While the NDA has started preparing for the showdown, it was rumoured that the UPA was shepherding its herd to an undisclosed destination, where they would remain till the floor test.
While the RJD-JVM and JMM leaders met several times during the day to finalise modalities for wresting power, the Congress indicated that it would wait till the floor test before, announcing its stand.
The party is likely to support the new Jharkhand government from outside if Munda fails September 14 test.The party’s decision is based on the prognosis that the “successor regime would be as unstable as the Munda dispensation”. As in the present set-up, Independents and smaller parties with one or two MLAs would continue to call the shots — making fire-fighting — rather than quality governance, the new chief minister’s primary job. The Congress’s “non-participation” in the government will help the new incumbent accommodate claims of other partners to ensure “greater stability”. With nine legislators in the 82-member House, the Congress is the second largest party, after the JMM, in the state’s UPA alliance.
The theory gaining ground is that the new chief minister should be from among the Independents, rather than the JMM or RJD, to avoid any conflict between the two major UPA constituents. However, the UPA game plan would unfold only after the trial of strength. Any premature move on its part could prove costly if Munda manages to pull off a miracle in the confidence vote. Echoing similar sentiments, the Left parties said the Arjun Munda-led Jharkhand government should go if it has lost majority.
{{/usCountry}}The theory gaining ground is that the new chief minister should be from among the Independents, rather than the JMM or RJD, to avoid any conflict between the two major UPA constituents. However, the UPA game plan would unfold only after the trial of strength. Any premature move on its part could prove costly if Munda manages to pull off a miracle in the confidence vote. Echoing similar sentiments, the Left parties said the Arjun Munda-led Jharkhand government should go if it has lost majority.
{{/usCountry}}The Left is willing to lend outside support to the new government. Only one of its constituents, the Forward Bloc, has an MLA.