Uneasy tie-up with BJP leads to Soren's resignation

Shibu Soren, who resigned on Sunday a day ahead of a floor test, had begun his third term as Jharkhand Chief Minister on a shaky note with questions being raised about the longevity of his uneasy tie-up with BJP which finally culminated into his stepping down from office.

Shibu Soren, who resigned on Sunday a day ahead of a floor test, had begun his third term as Jharkhand Chief Minister on a shaky note with questions being raised about the longevity of his uneasy tie-up with BJP which finally culminated into his stepping down from office.

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An isolated Soren put in his papers after failing to get the support of Congress and its ally JVM(P) ahead of Monday's trust vote in the assembly.

With the odds stacked against him, Soren, who has been holding on to his post after reneging on a power-sharing deal with the BJP, made overtures to the Congress which was not forthcoming.

The BJP, with which JMM had entered into a post-poll alliance for the first time to cobble together a majority in the 81-member Assembly, had been giving pin pricks to JMM on a number of occasions in the past.

The trouble in Jharkhand began after the JMM chief sided with the UPA during the cut motions moved by the main opposition BJP in the Lok Sabha prompting the latter to announce withdrawal of support to Soren govermnment, a decision put on hold by the party when Soren apologised for his "mistake".

The JMM suggested a power sharing arrangement on a rotational basis with the BJP but finally nothing worked out with an adamant Soren refusing to budge.