Jharkhnad heading for President's rule, Governor Syed Ahmed informs centre formation of a new government untenable

NEW DELHI: Jharkhand appears to be heading for a spell of President’s rule, with governor Syed Ahmed informing the Centre that the formation of a new government in the state was untenable.

In his report sent to the home ministry after consulting chief minister Arjun Munda and JMM leaders, Ahmed is understood to have recommended keeping the assembly under suspended animation. “I have received the preliminary report from the Jharkhand governor. I will go through it. Wait for sometime for any decision,” home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said here without giving details.

After Munda’s resignation following JMM’s decision to withdraw support to his government, nobody has claimed that it had the required support for government formation. While BJP and JMM have 18 legislators each in the 81-member assembly, Congress has 13. Though Congress was open to an alliance with JMM, a section in the party was not keen on joining hands with RJD and wife of former chief minister Madhu Koda, who was in jail over corruption charges. Imposition of President’s rule, on the other hand, will allow Congress to remotecontrol affairs of the state from Delhi.

BJP was of the view that the only way out of the crisis was to dissolve the House and hold fresh elections. The Munda government on Tuesday recommended dissolution of the House to the governor after JMM withdrew support. Jharkhand has witnessed President’s Rule twice since 2000, when it was carved out of Bihar. On both occasions, JMM chief Shibu Soren was chief minister.

This time JMM decided to withdraw support to the 28-month old government after BJP refused to agree to its demand for Munda’s removal. Babulal Marandi’s Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) is also in favour of dissolution of the assembly and fresh elections.