By IANS,
Ranchi : Political uncertainty continued in Jharkhand for the third day Friday after independent legislator, Bandhu Tirkey, withdrew support to the four-month-old Shibu Soren regime, saying he was against the BJP forming an alternative government.
Tirkey met Governor M.O.H. Farook at 5 p.m. and handed over his letter of withdrawal of support.
Tirkey later told reporters: “I had supported the Shibu Soren government and now there are indications that the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) will form the government.”
He said: “My support was for Shibu Soren not the BJP, and this is the reason I have withdrawn support.”
Jharkhand is facing political uncertainty for the last three days. The BJP, which has threatened to withdraw support, announced Friday it was putting on hold the move. The BJP was unhappy after Shibu Soren voted in favour of the United Progressive Alliance government during the cut motion in parliament moved by the BJP and Left parties.
The BJP is consulting its Jharkhand unit leaders on formation of an alternative government in the state.
BJP state president and Deputy Chief Minister Raghubar Das held a meeting with state party leaders and legislators about the JMM’s proposal to form a government in the state. Das left for New Delhi Friday evening to discuss the political situation in Jharkhand with the party central leadership.
The Congress has charged the BJP with being greedy to grab power in the state. “The BJP is indulging in unethical politics and has pushed the state into political uncertainty. The BJP is trying to manage numbers to form the government,” Radha Krishna Kishore, a Congress spokesperson, told reporters.
JMM leaders, on the other hand, are consulting leaders of opposition parties to form an alternative government. According to JMM sources, the party has kept open its option to go with any alliance for a stable government.
JMM leaders are likely to leave for New Delhi Saturday to meet senior BJP leaders regarding formation of a new government.
The BJP parliamentary board meeting in New Delhi decided to put on hold the decision to withdraw support to the JMM and has yet to decide on forming an alternative government. The BJP will hold talks with alliance partners – the JMM, Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) – as well as the BJP state unit, BJP general secretary Ananth Kumar said in the national capital.