'Jharkhand BJP upset over good governance'

NEW DELHI: In a move aimed at piling up pressure on the Manmohan Singh government to hold early elections in Jharkhand, all 23 MLAs belonging to BJP submitted their resignation letters to Raghuvar Das, who heads the party in the state. Mr Das, on his part, is expected to forward their resignation letters to the speaker of the Jharkhand assembly, which is presently under suspended animation.

The party���s legislature group is now planning to meet President Pratibha Patil to impress upon her the need to persuade the Centre to order early elections in the state.

The state has been under a spell of suspended animation since January this year, when JMM chief Shibu Soren was forced to step down from the chief minister���s post after being defeated in Tamar by-election. The six-month term of President���s rule in the state came to an end in July this year, after which it was extended by another six months. The latest spell of central rule comes to an end on January 19 next year.

Meanwhile, Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi poked fun at BJP, arguing that the move showed that BJP was ���upset over good governance���. ���Every one knows Jharkhand elections will be held by December and we are into September now. Still, BJP is indulging in political drama as it is scared of good governance in the state,��� Mr Singhvi told newspersons in Ranchi later in the day.

The development, he contended, reflected the party���s ���impatience��� to wait for polls and asked the saffron party as to why it did not take such a decision when President���s rule was imposed in January. ���In fact, BJP welcomed President���s Rule then, but now it is trying to create sensation,��� the Congress spokesman said.

According to BJP, popular sentiment was against Congress as there was a perception that it had propped up a corrupt government under Madhu Koda. Also, the governor���s rule under Syed Sibtey Razi was ���even more disastrous���. The growing outrage against Mr Razi, who governed the state for six months, prompted the UPA to shift him to Assam, feels BJP.

In fact, two ministers of the Koda government are already in judicial custody on charges of corruption. Koda himself and three of his ministerial colleagues are facing corruption charges.