JMM withdraws support to Madhu Koda govt

The 23-month-old UPA coalition government in Jharkhand was reduced to a minority tonight after the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) withdrew support in pursuit of its agenda to get Chief Minister Madhu Koda replaced by its supremo Shibu Soren, triggering a fresh political crisis.

Soren, who on August 12 had threatened to pull out if Koda was not removed by today, handed over the letter of withdrawal of support to Governor Syed Sibtey Razi in Ranchi after day-long deliberations of the regional party.

He was accompanied to the Raj Bhavan by three of the five JMM MPs and all 17 MLAs of the party.

In the 81-member Assembly, the coalition government had a thin majority with support of 42 MLAs but after the 17 JMM legislators pulled out, Koda, an Independent, seems to be in trouble. Besides Congress (9) and RJD (7), which are lending support to the UPA coalition from outside, five Independents and four legislators of smaller parties backed the government.

“The administration’s misgovernance was having its effect and we could not carry the Koda baggage any more,” Soren told reporters after withdrawing support.

Koda, however, termed the JMM’s move as “hasty” and expressed hope that a solution to the present crisis was still possible. “The monsoon session of the Assembly has been convened from September 19... I am still hopeful of finding a solution to the present situation...I am continuing as the chief minister and my government is not in a minority,” he said when asked whether he was heading a minority government after the JMM submitted the letter to the governor withdrawing support.

Three of the JMM ministers — Deputy Chief Minister Sudhir Mahto, Agriculture Minister Nalin Soren and

Revenue Minister Dulal Bhuyan — also handed over their resignations.

The JMM had backed the UPA government at the Centre in the crucial trust vote in Parliament last month in an apparent deal with the

Congress where Soren was to be made the chief minister again.

The sudden crisis in Jharkhand blew up when impatient at the delay in the expansion in the Union Council of ministers, Soren demanded that arrangements be made to accommodate his party in the ruling set-up in Ranchi.

Soren had a brief nine-day stint as chief minister in April 2005, before quitting.