In a final attempt to save its government in Jharkhand, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) tonight extended an olive branch to its former alliance partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which withdrew its support to the state government today, reducing it to a minority. The JMM said Chief Minister and party supremo Shibu Soren was ready to resign and a new leader could be installed.
“Shibu Soren is ready to resign if the BJP leadership thinks his voting against the cut motion has hurt it and the BJP should review its decision to withdraw support to Jharkhand government,” Soren’s son Hemant told a press conference in Ranchi.
The development came even as the JMM chief had showed his desire to switch over to the side of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) during Tuesday’s cut motion voting in the Lok Sabha. The Congress is not ready to support any JMM-led government in the mine-rich, tribal-dominated state.
Top Congress leaders told Business Standard that Soren’s continuance as the CM was not desirable. The party is not ready to accept Hemant, Soren’s son, as the chief minister, if it has to support a government.
