Jharkhand: BJP MLAs to discuss issue govt formation

Jharkhand BJP MLAs are likely to meet on Tuesday to discuss the issue of possible government formation, senior state BJP leader and former minister Baijnath Ram said late Monday night.

Ram's statement came in the wake of JMM expressing desire to support any party which would initiate government formation in Jharkhand, which is now under President's Rule.

"At around 10 am, the party MLAs are likely to meet at the party office to explore any possibility of government formation. There is also a possibility of election of the legislative party leader," Ram told newsmen here amid speculation that BJP general secretary Arjun Munda is tipped to be the BJP LP leader in the event of a Legislative Party meeting on staking claim to form a government.

However, a senior BJP leader quoting state party president Raghuvar Das said, "We do not have any direction from the central leadership to convene any such meeting. Let us see what happens tomorrow."

"How can one elect Legislative Party leader without the consent of either the state unit president-cum-LP leader
Raghuvar Das or the central leadership," he said.

JMM-LP leader Hemant Soren had on September 4 said the party was open to support like-minded parties as elections might throw a fractured mandate again.

When contacted, BJP's national general secretary and former chief minister Arjun Munda said the governor should explore government formation as three months have already passed since the President's Rule was imposed on June 1.

"Even the Supreme Court had overruled former Bihar Governor Buta Singh's decision to recommend dissolution of the Bihar assembly (five years ago)," Munda said.