Marandi to meet Mukherjee, demand assembly dissolution

A delegation of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantric) will meet President Pranab Mukherjee today to demand for dissolution of state assembly.

According to television reports, the party delegation would be led by former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi.

The party has been demanding immediate dissolution of Jharkhand assembly to pave way for a fresh mandate.

Jharkhand, which was created in 2000, has been placed under President's Rule twice.

The present political instability erupted on January 8 when BJP's ruling coalition partner JMM, in a letter to the Governor, formally withdrew its support to the government pushing it into a minority.

Relations between the BJP and JMM came under strain since the chief minister rejected that there was an agreement between the two parties on rotation of power after 28 months in office.

JMM supremo Shibu Soren, considered to be the wily old fox of Jharkhand politics, needs 42 votes to muster a majority for his party in the 82-member House, but it will be six short even after adding Congress and RJD votes.

The BJP and JMM have 18 members each in the Jharkhand assembly. The Congress has a total of 13 members.

Jharkhand has seen eight governments in the last 12 years.