By IANS,
Ranchi: Amid political uncertainty in Jharkhand, Chief Minister Shibu Soren, who has been served an ultimatum to quit by his government’s coalition partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is effecting transfers of bureaucrats.
On Wednesday, the Jharkhand government transferred eight Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers. Soren also disposed off scores of files at the chief minister office (CMO). He had transferred six Indian Police Service (IPS) officers Monday.
The large scale transfers effected by Soren have invited criticism from BJP and the opposition parties alike.
“Soren should desist from effecting transfers of bureaucrats and taking key decisions,” a senior BJP leader told IANS on condition of anonymity.
The BJP leadership has asked Soren to create an environment conducive to transfer of power at the earliest. Soren has also been told, through his son and JMM’s negotiator with BJP Hemant Soren, to furnish letters of support in favour of BJP from all 18 JMM legislators.
“Soren has no right to stay in power. Why are bureaucrats being transferred when this government has to go? There is something fishy in the large scale transfers,” said Jharkhand Congress general secretary Shailesh Sinha.
Meanwhile, JMM has constituted a six-member committee to hold meetings with BJP leaders to resolve the political crisis in the state. A meeting of JMM legislators Tuesday night decided to stay with the BJP and to hold talks to end the political crisis.
Jharkhand plunged into the current political crisis after Soren voted in favour of the United Progressive Alliance government on a cut motion moved in the Lok Sabha by the BJP April 27.
A day after the cut motion, the BJP’s parliamentary board decided to withdraw the party’s support to the Soren-led Jharkhand government. Later, on April 30, the BJP put its decision to withdraw support on hold.
The JMM and BJP leaders met May 1 in New Delhi to sort out their differences. Hemant, who returned to Ranchi May 2, claimed that the JMM-led government would continue for now.