Jharkhand govt will complete 5-yr term: Soren

Three days after agreeing to share power with the BJP on a rotational basis in Jharkhand, Chief Minister Shibu Soren did another volte face today and said his government would complete its full five year term.

"I have formed the government for five years, and shall complete the tenure. Who will remove me?" Soren asked while backtracking on his own announcement on May 18 that BJP and JMM will share power for 28 months each with the BJP taking over in the first phase.

Soren, who maintained that there was no deadline for his resignation, said "the question of a change of government comes if there is no development. But now development is going on."

Yesterday, Soren also did not rule out contesting a bypoll to enter the house which he must do constitutionally by June 30 as he is an MP. He will have to step down in a month's time if he fails to get elected from any assembly seat within six months of his taking over as the CM.

Soren's son Hemant, the JMM legislature party leader, who made an offer to the BJP to head the government in the state after it had withdrawn support on April 28, said "The party has to abide by whatever decision the president (Soren) has taken or will take."

Meanwhile, BJP leader Arjun Munda, who has been entrusted by the party leadership to deal with the crisis, refused to speak to the media.

Munda and Soren had on May 18 announced the agreement to share power on a rotational basis with the BJP to take over for the first 28 months.

Agriculture Minister Mathura Prasad Mahato also said "The party president is the final authority to take a decision, and we stand by him."

Meanwhile Opposition leader Rajendra Prasad Singh of the Congress said, "we do not believe in dislodging a government, but we have been observing the political crisis very closely."