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Home > Assembly Elections 2005 > Jharkhand > Report

Sonia unhappy with Jharkhand developments

Ehtasham Khan in New Delhi | March 03, 2005 15:08 IST
Last Updated: March 03, 2005 15:11 IST


Congress president Sonia Gandhi has reportedly expressed her unhappiness over Jharkhand governor's decision to invite the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led United Progressive Alliance to form government in the state.

JMM chief Shibu Soren, who held the coal and mines portfolio in the Union Cabinet, was on Wednesday sworn in by Governor Syed Sibtey Razi as Jharkhand chief minister and given time till March 21 to prove his majority on the floor of the House.

Also see: Kalam summons Jharkhand governor

While the Congress leads the UPA at the Centre, it's a junior partner in the coalition in Jharkhand.

Razi's decision to invite Soren to form the government, when the rival National Democratic Alliance appeared to have the numbers in its favour, has led to protests all over the state and in Parliament.

The NDA had paraded 41 MLAs before the governor, while the JMM had only submitted a list of 36 with Raj Bhavan. However, the governor disregarded the NDA's claim and invited Soren to form the government.

Also see: Opposition stalls Parliament again

The NDA is now flying its MLAs to Delhi to parade them before the President.

President A P J Abdul Kalam has also summoned Razi to Delhi.

Kalam's summon is seen as one of the reasons of Gandhi's displeasure on the issue.

A Congress source told rediff.com: "It is basically a damage control exercise because the image of Sonia Gandhi has been harmed."

The NDA has 36 seats in the 81-member House. It claims to have support of five Independent legislators.

A senior Congress leader said Kalam now has only two options to defuse the situation --  a) he can ask the governor to give only three days to Soren to prove his majority on the floor of the House [he has been given 21 days]; b) he can recall the governor.

Complete Coverage: Assembly Elections 2005





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