After dilly-dallying for nearly a month, the BJP on Monday withdrew support to the Shibu Soren government in Jharkhand reducing it to a minority.

BJP withdraws support to Soren govt

After dilly-dallying for nearly a month, the BJP on Monday withdrew support to the Shibu Soren government in Jharkhand reducing it to a minority.

Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Raghuvar Das handed over the letter withdrawing support to the Soren government to Governor MOH Farooq. "I have handed over the letter, which contains the signature of all 18 BJP MLAs, withdrawing support," Das told reporters at the Raj Bhavan. The Governor said he will study it.

Frustrated over JMM backtracking on its power-sharing agreement in Jharkhand, the BJP had decided yesterday to withdraw support after a defiant Soren asserted that he would continue as the chief minister and was in touch with Congress.

The BJP parliamentary board had on April 28 decided to withdraw support to the JMM government after Soren voted against the party-sponsored cut motion against the UPA government in Lok Sabha a day earlier. However, the decision was put on hold when JMM Legislature party leader and Soren's son Hemant wrote a letter to BJP chief Nitin Gadkari pledging support to a BJP-led government. But, the JMM backtracked and demanded rotational power sharing with each party leading the government for 28 months.

This was agreed to by BJP on the understanding that Soren will quit as Chief Minister by May 25 after which Munda will head the new coalition government. As the deadline for his stepping down approached, Soren made it clear on Friday that there was not going to quit. "The question of a change of government comes if there is no development. But now development is going on," he had told reporters.

The Chief Minister had on Saturday went a step further saying he was weighing all options, including cutting a deal with the Congress to continue in power. The Soren government now has 27 MLAs, including 18 of its own, five of the AJSU, two of JD(U) and two others in support in the 81-member House.

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