New Delhi: Jharkhand could witness a brief
spell of President`s Rule with the Congress against taking any
hasty decision on government formation in the tribal state
where the Shibu Soren ministry was reduced to a minority after
BJP withdrew support.
Congress sources Tuesday said the party was in "no hurry" to
back any formation or take support from any grouping which is
unstable and would later embarrass the party like what
happened to the BJP.
"The Governor has given a week`s time to Soren. Though
informal talks have begun, we are not throwing our hat in the
ring right now. There is no harm in President`s Rule for a
brief period," a senior party leader said.
He said that Rajya Sabha elections in the state next
month would indicate the balance of power and also the mood of
the MLAs and its result would be crucial for assessing the
political situation.
Officially, the party maintained that "all possibilities"
were open in the state for government formation.
"In politics all possibilities are open. Nothing can be
ruled out," party spokesman Shakeel Ahmed said when asked if
Congress will support Soren or any other candidate of JMM for
the post of chief minister.
He said the Congress cannot give and take support from the
BJP and other possibilities are being explored in consultation
with the AICC in-charge of the state K Keshav Rao, PCC
President Pradeep Balmuchu, CLP leader Rajendra Singh, the
MLAs of the party and the allies.
"If elections are held now, the impact would be on the
common people. Congress central leadership would work on the
feedback from the leaders and then take a decision," he said.
In the 82-member Jharkhand Assembly, Congress has 14 MLAs
while its ally JVM led by Babu Lal Marandi has 11. The JMM has
18 MLAs, same as BJP.
PTI
