New Delhi/Ranchi: After two days of high drama, the BJP leadership has reportedly agreed to reconsider its decision to withdraw support to the Shibu Soren-led Jharkhand coalition government.
The BJP ministers from the state who were supposed to meet the Governor at 11 am on Thursday, have deferred the meeting while the central leadership of the party is toying the idea of a change of leadership, as offered by the Chief Minister Shibu Soren's son Hemant.
Sources say, Hemant is eyeing the CM post and is desperate to save the government after the decision by the BJP Parliamentary Board to pull out of the government on Wednesday. This came after Soren's voting in favour of the UPA government in Lok Sabha on Tuesday in the cut motions. BJP had described his voting as an 'act of betrayal'.
The BJP top leaders were not keen though to do business with Soren any more. But some state leaders asked the party high command to avoid elections for now.
Hemant says: "We reject all the accusations against us. The CM is willing to resign from his post for this. We want the BJP to reconsider its decision of withdrawing support."
The Speaker of the Jharkhand Assembly CP Singh says: "It's unfortunate that it's almost 10 years since Jharkhand is formed. Yet there is no stable government. Coalition governments are formed and as a result there is not much attention for development. People are also upset. They are losing faith in politics. Guruji should have thought much before voting against the cut motion. As a legislator, I feel that he should have been more careful."
"I can't predict on what happens next. If such coalition governments are formed, the future of Jharkhand looks bleak. Elections are always a burden on the people and now the prices of essential commodities are also rising. Five years is the term prescribed for elections but if it happens before that it's not ideal for the state," he added.
Shibu Soren has had a controversial past. Now that the fun is gone after four months into his third stint as Chief Minister, Dishom Guru is finding his future uncertain yet again. The BJP is upset with him and the Congress is reluctant to do business with him.
Political wrangling apart, he had to contend with a family feud as well. His battle to find a safe seat for himself to contest the Assembly elections has been unsuccessful so far. Hemant, an MLA from his own home base of Dumka, has refused to vacate the seat for his father. So did his daughter-in-law Seeta, an MLA from Jama.
So in the end, Soren was forced to look for a secure future with the Congress, hopefully as a minister at the Centre. In both his two earlier stints as chief Minister, Soren was forced to step down rather unceremoniously.
Former Jharkhand Chief Minister and BJP leader Arjun Munda says, "Shibu Soren has cheated the people of Jharkhand."
In 2005, Soren resigned as the Chief Minister a week after being sworn in by the then Governor Sibtey Razi. Soren's government was declared unconstitutional as he did not have the numbers.
In 2009, he was forced to step down again five months into his second Chief Ministerial stint after losing a by-election.
Soren who continues to face legal trial in two murder cases dating back to 1974, may well have played the last political gamble of his life. If the Congress does not bail him out, it will be difficult for him to make another comeback.
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