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Soren set to be Jharkhand CM again, with BJP support
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Shibu Soren is on course to becoming chief minister of the state again after clinching a deal with the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday. The Janata Dal (United) and All Jharkhand Students’ Union (AJSU) will be their allies, report B Vijay Murty and Shekhar Iyer.
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Shibu Soren is on course to becoming chief minister of the state again after clinching a deal with the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday.
The Janata Dal (United) and All Jharkhand Students’ Union (AJSU) will be their allies.
Soren is likely to meet Governor K Sankaranarayanan in the morning on Saturday to stake claim to chief ministership following his “successful” talks with the BJP’s central leaders, including Rajnath Singh, on the phone.
Singh later left for Ranchi for more talks with BJP leaders and MLAs, who have been called to elect their leader on Saturday.
Soren will present the support of 43 MLAs, two more than the required 41 needed to prove a majority in the House, which has 81 members.
The JMM won 18 seats in the assembly election, in which no party got a majority. The BJP also won 18 seats and the Janata Dal (United) got two.
The AJSU got five seats.
Soren agreed to give the post of the Speaker of the assembly to the BJP. He also acceded to his new ally’s (BJP’s) demand for the creation of the post of deputy chief minister, which too will go to the BJP.
Soren turned to the BJP on Friday after the Congress refused to play ball with him because he insisted on the post of chief minister for himself.
