Monday, January 19, 2009

Cabinet Recommends Prez Rule in Jharkhand


Caught in squeeze by bickering allies that threaten to rock the UPA boat ahead of the General Elections over an ongoing feud over the fate of the Jharkhand state government, a meeting of the UPA cabinet, convened over the impasse today, is unlikely to culminate in the Centre muscling in on any of its allies.

(UPDATE) the Union cabinet on Monday recommended president’s rule in Jharkhand on Monday morning.

The cabinet will take up the issue of President’s rule, Jharkhand Governor Syed Sibte Razi, late last week, called for central intervention to end the political turmoil.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, who returned from foreign sores Sunday evening, is said to be against imposition of President’s rule. Sources said the government will take a formal view on the matter at Monday’s meeting.

Governor Razi had forwarded a report to the Centre on Friday recommending central rule and putting the assembly under suspended animation.

He is understood to have attributed his recommendations to the inability of the cited political instability in the state for making his recommendations following Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led coalition’s inability to reach a consensus on a new chief minister.

The present turmoil was invoked by a humiliating electoral loss suffered by Chief Minister and JMM chief Shibu Soren.

Negotiator par excellence Soren is relentlessly pushing for the nomination of his protégé Champai Soren for the top post.

The Congress, RJD and independent legislators in the assembly, however, are refusing to back Soren’s demands.

With political fortunes diminishing in its mainstay Bihar, the RJD is also said to be eyeing the post from a distance, several party lawmakers met Lalu in Delhi soon after his return from Japan.

The Congress is expected to walk a tight rope at the cabinet meeting, later today, as it would least want to put the government in suspended animation ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and nor would it like to miff allies and risk prospects of a regroup on the other side of the hustings.

With Lalu already irritated over the UPA’s soft stance over anti-bhaiyya attacks in Maharashtra and facing huge anti-incumbencies due to the violence, the Congress is unlikely to add insult to injuries inflicted upon one of its most vociferous and staunch allies.

The Congress is likely to use reason with JMM boss Shibu Soren by summing up his huge electoral loss as a pointer towards the mood prevailing in the state, and dissuade him from taking a hard-line stance over the matter.

The JMM chief was still in hospital on Sunday where he was admitted after he complained of uneasiness soon after resigning as CM.

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