Soren gets RJD backing for CM post

NEW DELHI: Chances of JMM chief Shibu Soren finally realizing his dream to be the chief minister of Jharkhand ��� the state that he helped form ��� brightened on Thursday after he managed to enlist the backing of railway minister Lalu Prasad.
While the fact that Jharkhand can have only 12 ministers, including chief minister, could still prove to be a major impediment in his landing the top job, support from Congresss and RJD can help him ovecome that obstacle.(Watch)
The UPA leadership has asked incumbent Madhu Koda to step down with the promise of a "respectable" exit for him. While it was being realized that persuading the five Independents who hold the balance in the hung Ranchi House would be tough, it was felt that they might find it difficult to hold out in the face of a JMM-Congress-RJD concert and the prospect of continuing in their ministerial offices.
Koda has informed governor Syed Sibtey Razi that he would prove his majority on Monday but with JMM withdrawing support to his government, there seems no way he can do that.
The chances of Razi recommending President's rule in the state after August 25 are still strong if signs of the problem being resolved do not surface by then. The Congress is reluctant on imposing central rule because it would lose yet another UPA-led state and the ruling alliance would have to face elections within six months.
Before the three JMM ministers quit the government, the other nine, including Koda, were Independents even though Soren's party has 17 MLAs and no alternative UPA regime can be formed without Independents, who want their pound of flesh for backing any dispensation.
As CM, Soren, sources close to him said, wants to pick his own ministers so that the government "delivers" before the polls, a "do-or-die battle for JMM", and he is not ready for "any dictates". "Guruji has said this in his many contacts with UPA leaders. With JMM being UPA's largest constituent, he would like to have more ministers from his party," sources said.
At the end of a hectic day, the JMM chief was finally called to meet Sonia Gandhi in the evening even as the Congress stuck to its stand of supporting Soren provided he wins over the Independents.
Earlier, Soren said he met Lalu Prasad and his response was positive, but the RJD president twice denied that any such meeting took place. The JMM chief also met foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee and Congress leader Ahmad Patel.
Reports from Ranchi said that at least five Independents, led by former JMM leader Stephen Marandi, were still against any change of guard but a slackening in their stand surfaced as they said that no UPA leader has so far asked Koda to quit. Chinks appeared in the Independents' camp as three of them did not attend the meeting in Ranchi and two of them were in Delhi to "back" Soren.
The JMM chief has said that once sworn in, he would easily gather the necessary numbers and support might also come from some unexpected quarters. Soren is said to be banking on two rebel BJP MLAs as well as two Left legislators.