BJP says Hemant Soren govt in minority, demands its dismissal

The BJP urged Governor Syed Ahmed to dismiss the Hemant Soren-led coalition government in Jharkhand claiming it was a minority one following the defection by some MLAs.

Jamshedpur: The BJP on Thursday urged Governor Syed Ahmed to dismiss the Hemant Soren-led coalition government in Jharkhand claiming it was a minority one following the defection by some MLAs.

"The real character of the ruling coalition has been exposed and the present government should be dismissed immediately as it has been reduced to a minority," state BJP spokesman Amarpreet Singh Kale told reporters here. Kale claimed that the Soren-headed state government had lost credibility after becoming a minority government, but was reluctant to step down. Sitting MLA Chandrasekhar Dubey who had won on Congress ticket had joined the Trinamool Congress, while Hemlal Murmu and Bidyut Baran Mahto who had won on JMM ticket had joined the BJP. Bandhu Tirkey`s Jharkhand Janadhikar Manch and Chamra Linda`s Rastriya Kalyan Pakshya had merged with the TMC in the presence of TMC General Secretary Mukul Roy in Ranchi. Asked whether the BJP would build pressure to dislodge the ruling coalition, Kale said his party was keeping tabs on political developments in the state. Yesterday Assembly Speaker Shashank Sekhar Bhokta had said he was waiting for a genuine ground before considering anti-defection provisions against MLAs changing political parties ahead of the General Elections. Chief Minister Hemant Soren had formed the coalition government on July 13 last year with the support of JMM (18), Congress (13), RJD (5) and seven MLAs from smaller parties and independent members with a strength of 43 in the 82-member House.