Tuesday, September 5, 2006 (New Delhi):
The Jharkhand
government could be on the verge of a collapse.
Four
ministers of the Munda government in the state have sent their resignations to Governor Syed Sibte Razi.
Madhu Koda, Enos Ekka, Harinarain Rai and Kamlesh Singh are reportedly in touch with UPA leaders and are likely to join the UPA.
The move could well be the end of the Munda government, which will be in a minority without the
support of these four MLAs.
Crisis situation
While the
chief minister says there is no threat to his government, former chief minister Babulal Marandi has said President's Rule should be imposed in Jharkhand.
"This government should be dismissed as soon as possible and President's Rule should be imposed in the state," said Babulal Marandi, former Chief Minister, Jharkhand.
The 18-month-old NDA government in Jharkhand has a wafer-thin majority and is now set to plunge into crisis in the wake of the four ministers withdrawing support.
Alternative alliance
As the BJP government teeters on the edge of collapse, there are moves within the opposition to set up an alternative government.
BJP-led Coalition
* BJP: 30
seats * NCP: 1 seat
* JDU : 6 seats * JP: 1 seat
* AJSU : 2 seats * Ind: 2 seats
The crisis has come about thanks to the protests of three ministers, who are independent and key to the survival of the government.
One of the options before the ministers and a section within the UPA is to project one of the independent dissident ministers, Madhu Koda, as the new chief
Minister.
He would be supported by four other independents - the RJD, JMM MLAs and with the external support from the Congress.
Though there are troubles to the alternative. Will Shibu Soren of the JMM be ready to accept somebody apart from him as the chief minister? And whether the RJD is also ready to support an independent as chief minister?
But nothing will happen yet without Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's go-ahead.
More reviews about the The Indian Express