New Delhi: In the wake of BJP withdrawing
support to the Shibu Soren Government in Jharkhand, Congress
on Monday saw an opportunity in the state, saying stability factor
would be crucial in any exercise for government formation.
"We are watching the developments. We are putting our
minds together to save Jharkhand from collapse", Congress
in-charge for Jharkhand K Keshav Rao cryptically remarked here
close on the heels of BJP pulling the rug from under the feet
of the Soren Government in Ranchi.
In the next two days, the party will discuss the
Jharkhand issue from all angles and arrive at a decision, Rao
told reporters.
Refusing to spell out its strategy over the issue of
government formation, Rao said stability factor would be
crucial in taking any decision.
Congress has 14 MLAs in the 82-member Jharkhand Assembly.
Congress sources say that six JMM MLAs out of the total
18 are already in touch with the party and it expects a split
in the JMM in the next few days. They say that the party could
also think of making Soren a governor if he helps in formation
of the next government.
In Ranchi, the Pradesh Congress said it would look into
the proposal for government formation if the JMM and other
secular parties came up with the issue.
"If secular parties, including the JMM, send any proposal
for formation of a secular dispensation, the party will look
into it and place it before the central leadership," JPCC
spokesman Radhakrishna Kishore said.
Blaming the BJP for instability in the state, he said the
Congress neither preferred President's Rule nor mid-term
polls, but would like Jharkhand to be governed by secular
forces.
PTI
First Published: Monday, May 24, 2010, 18:31