By IANS,
Ranchi/New Delhi : Jharkhand was Tuesday placed under president’s rule — for the second time in just over a year, and less than six months after Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Shibu Soren’s second stint.
The cabinet committee on political affairs chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met Tuesday morning in New Delhi to approve imposition of president’s rule and put the legislative assembly in suspended animation. This came after Soren stepped down as chief minister Sunday, a day before he was to prove his majority in the assembly.
President Pratibha Patil has given her approval to the move, said official sources.
Governor M.O.H. Farook sent a report on the political situation to the union home ministry Monday night. Before sending the report, the governor had summoned leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress and the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P) to see if they could form an alternate government.
The three parties told Farook they did not have the numbers to do so.
President’s rule was imposed for the first time Jan 19, 2009, after Soren resigned as chief minister after losing an assembly by-poll to remain in office. This is the second time central rule is being imposed in the state following Soren’s chief ministership.
However, though the JMM and BJP have parted ways that led to a political crisis and imposition of president’s rule, both parties were in sync Tuesday in condemning the move. The Congress said the central government had no other option.
“It is unfortunate that president’s rule has been imposed in Jharkhand. This should not have happened. Efforts will be made by our party to install a popular government in the state,” JMM central committee member Supriyo Bhattacharya told IANS.
Added former chief minister and BJP national secretary Arjun Munda: “President’s rule is not an option in a democracy. The BJP is watching the political situation and will monitor the activities taking place under president’s rule.”
The Congress advocated a popular government in the state. “There was no option but to impose president’s rule. An effort should be made to install a popular government as the assembly has been kept under suspended animation,” Shailesh Sinha, general secretary of the state Congress unit, told IANS.
The All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU), which had propped the JMM-BJP government, has blamed both national parties. “Both the Congress and BJP are equally responsible for president’s rule,” said AJSU legislator Uma Kant Razak.
The five-month-old JMM-led government was propped up by the BJP with 18 members, the AJSU with five legislators and the Janata Dal-United’s two members.
The Congress has 14 members, the JVM-P 11, and the Rashtriya Janata Dal has five legislators. There are also five Independents.
The JMM-led government was reduced to minority after the BJP withdrew support on May 24, a few days after Soren, a Lok Sabha MP, voted against the BJP’s cut motions in parliament to favour the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government.