By IANS,
Ranchi : With alliance partners scrambling for key ministries, Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren has yet to allocate portfolios though he expanded his cabinet three days ago on Jan 9.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) and Soren’s own Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) are all angling for important portfolios. The result is that work of the government has stalled with no minister in place.
Though Soren, who was sworn in on Dec 30 and won the trust vote Jan 7, denies that there is any problem, sources in the JMM say that the BJP and the AJSU are trying to get the rural development, energy, home, health and other major ministries.
A party insider said the AJSU was particularly angling for home. Soren had agreed to some of their demands but was against giving home to AJSU president and deputy chief minister Sudesh Mahto.
“The partners of the government are more concerned about their greed instead of development of the state. What can be expected when Soren is not able to distribute portfolios among the ministers,” Pradeep Kumar Balmuchu, Jharkhand Congress president, told IANS.
The delay in allocating portfolios is likely to affect Soren’s 100-day agenda for the government set on Dec 30 when he was sworn in.