'All Jharkhand JMM members may quit assembly'

A Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) legislator said here Saturday that all his party colleagues will quit the state assembly if a government is not formed in the state by June 16.

"All legislators of our party will quit if a government is not formed before June 16," JMM legislator Polus Surin told reporters here Saturday.

Echoing his view, Vishnu Bhaiya, another JMM legislator, assked: "What is the use of being a legislator if no government exists. It will be better that the state assembly is dissolved and polls take place."

President's rule was imposed in the state Jan 18 after the JMM withdrew its support to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led regime.

The JMM legislators said they were unhappy as the Congress was not making its stand clear on the issue of formation of a state government.

State Congress leaders said that their central leaders were considering formation of the government.

"Our central leaders will take a final stand. The Congress leaders will not take any decision under pressure. At present, the focus is to improve the administrative system of the state," a state Congress leader told IANS.

Soon after the imposition of the President's rule, there was speculation that legislators from the Congress, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and some independents could support an alternative government led by the JMM.

The proposed arrangement was said to be capable of forming a coalition comprising 41 legislators.

Of the 82 legislators in the state, 37 were in favour of fresh polls.

The 37 included 18 assembly members of the BJP, six of the All Jharkhand Students' Union, two of Janata Dal-United and 11 of the Jharkhand Vikas Morch-Prajatantrik.