By IANS,
Ranchi: Differences seem to have cropped up in the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) over supporting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for forming a government in Jharkhand as two party legislators Thursday spoke out against the proposal.
The two JMM legislators, Teklal Mahto and Simon Marandi, Thursday expressed their unhappiness over the proposal made Wednesday by Hemant Soren, son of JMM chief and Chief Minister Shibu Soren.
“Guruji (Shibu Soren) voted for the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in the cut motion in Lok Sabha, which indicates his mind. We cannot support the NDA to form government,” Mahto told reporters here Thursday.
Hemant’s offer of the JMM support to the BJP for government formation in the state came after the BJP threatened to withdraw legislative support from the JMM-led state government following Soren’s support to the UPA government in the Lok Sabha Tuesday.
On Thursday, the BJP deferred its threatened withdrawal of support to Soren government.
Echoing Mahto’s view against Hemant’s offer of support to the BJP, Marandi said: “Hemant does not represent the JMM’s view. Shibu Soren is with the UPA.”
He said: “Five to six party legislators are against supporting the BJP to form the government.”
Considering the apparent differences in the party, JMM sources said the party is looking for alternative to form a government in the state.
Talks are on with the Congress to form an alternative government in the state, sources said.
Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajanatarik (JVM-P) of Babulal Marandi Thursday said the party would explore possibilities of forming government to save the state from president’s rule, sources said.
Hemant is learnt to have earlier sent a letter to BJP president Nitin Gadkari to reconsider the party’s decision to withdraw support to the JMM-led government in the state.
While talking to reporters Wednesday night, Hemant proposed that the BJP could form the government in the state with JMM support. The BJP is yet to take any decision on his offer.
The Soren government will be reduced to a minority if the BJP backs out. In the 82-member Jharkhand assembly, the JMM and the BJP have 18 members each, All Jharkhand Students Union five, the Janata Dal-United two, the Congress 14, the JVM-P of former chief minister Babulal Marandi 11 and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) five. The others are mainly independents.