By IANS,
Ranchi : Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda Wednesday said he was not perturbed by Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Shibu Soren lobbying with the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government as the chief minister’s post was not a “permanent” one.
“The chief minister’s post is not a permanent post for anyone. People select anyone for the post for a certain period of time. The post of chief minister should be respected by everyone”.
Asked about JMM’s move to install Soren as chief minister, he said: “There is a political process and I am not perturbed with the development.
“In my 23-month tenure I did what the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) rule could not do in six years. During my regime municipal elections took place. My government formulated rehabilitation and resettlement policy and we implemented many welfare schemes for the poor people of the state.”
Soren had reportedly met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi Tuesday. There are indications that the Congress has no problem with the JMM demand if the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and other independents agree to elevate him as Jharkhand chief minister.
The Jharkhand government — headed by Madhu Koda, an independent — has the support of 43 legislators in the 82-member assembly. The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) has 17 JMM legislators, nine from the Congress and seven from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). The rest are from smaller parties or are independents.
Soren, who provided vital support to the Manmohan Singh government in the July 22 trust vote with his five Lok Sabha MPs, is said to have successfully lobbied for two cabinet berths as well as the chief minister’s post.
He had to quit as union coal minister in October 2006 after a Delhi court awarded life imprisonment to him in the case relating to the murder of his secretary Shashinath Jha.