Soren woos Laloo in quest for CM’s chair

Patna, Nov 7: Realignment of political forces have started in Jharkhand with JMM-S stalwart Shibu Soren meeting RJD supremo Laloo Prasad Y...

Patna, Nov 7: Realignment of political forces have started in Jharkhand with JMM-S stalwart Shibu Soren meeting RJD supremo Laloo Prasad Yadav this morning to chalk out a strategy to forestall the BJP’s move to thrust its candidate for the coveted post of Chief Minister.

Soren rushed here by Rajdhani Express from New Delhi after snapping the party’s ties with the NDA following the latter’s refusal to accept his candidature for Chief Minister of the nascent state.

He held parleys with Laloo at the Chief

Minister’s official residence this morning to draw up strategy to instal a secular non-BJP government in Jharkhand slated to be formed in November 15.

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Emerging from the meeting, Soren told PTI that he got full commitment from Yadav to work for forming a government under his (Soren’s) stewardship and "we are now confident of forming a government with the support of Congress left parties and Independents.”

“I don’t have to boast about my dedicated contributions to the people of Jharkhand…We alone, not BJP, have consistently fought for the creation of a tribal homeland (Jharkhand) during the past over three decades,” he said adding even several JMM workers had sacrificed their lives or were subjected to torture and police atrocities during the Jharkhand struggle.

Claiming assured support of 40 MLAs in the 81-member Jharkhand state assembly, Soren said, “We will submit written undertakings from the MLAs of the parties supporting me, to the Jharkhand Governor while staking claim to form government on November 15.”

Expressing confidence that he would prove his majority in the new assembly, he said he aould meet the MLAs of Congress, CPI, CPI-M, MCC, CPI-ML(L) individually to muster their support.

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Charging the NDA with having hoodwinked and cheated JMM-S on reneging on its promise to make him Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Soren said, “We will take this matter to the people’s court…people responsible for such treachery will be punished in times to come.”

On RJD’s gesture to mobilise support for Soren to form an alternative secular governmen, Soren said “We appreciate it……We too have supported RJD in the hour of crisis in the past”.

“I have all respect for Guruji (Sibu)…I will take all possible steps to enlist support of secular MLAs to form a non-BJP government in Jharkhand, the RJD president said.