JVM chief Marandi rules out JMM in govt formation

RANCHI: As political parties remained huddled in exploring options to form the government in Jharkhand, UPA leader and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) chief Babulal Marandi on Thursday announced that a government will be formed sans Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).

The JMM chief Shibu Soren, as reported earlier, had put a pre-condition that he be made the chief minister, if at all UPA was interested in forming the government in Jharkhand, after a fractured mandate in the assembly elections. He has also said that key to government lies with JMM.

Speaking to the ET, Mr Marandi said UPA is in a position to form the government without JMM support and so Shibu Soren should not have the illusion that no government can be formed without him. JMM should realize that it is not indispensable. This kind of pre-condition (of CM post) is not fair and Congress JVM alliance not bow down to his obstinacy, he said.

As per the formula, he said, UPA (25) will form the government with support from RJD (5), AJSU (5) and Independents, to reach the magic figure of 41. He said JMM s support will not be required, though the party should cooperate by extending support to us in our efforts in the larger interest of state .

When asked whether he would have any problem in taking support from the Independents, many of them tainted, the former chief minister justified the move saying: This is going to be an opportunity for them to reform and for contrition.

No party should have the illusion that no government can be formed without its support, he said and asserted that UPA had the required numbers. Mr Marandi, however, said he was not in a hurry to form the new government.

Asked who will lead the proposed UPA government, he said the issue will be decided by the Congress since it was the bigger partner of the alliance. Whatever they decide, JVM will abide by it. After the leadership issue is worked out, we will get letters of support from other MLAs before staking claim to form the government, he added.

Though there was no official word from JMM, its general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya claimed that Guruji will soon become the chief minister. However, he declined to comment on what will be the formula for government formation. Mr Shibu Soren was supposed to reach Ranchi tonight, where he is expected to meet the newly-elected party MLAs.

There was silence, however, in the BJP camp. Party s Jharkhand incharge Karuna Shukla and another senior leader Saudan Singh were holding a closed door meeting with party s top brass on the issue of government formation. However, according to a source, NDA staking claim to form the government was a remote possibility.