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JMM to snap ties with NDA

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha late on Sunday night announced it would snap its eight-month-old ties with the National Democratic Alliance.

The decision followed the National Democratic Alliance's rejection of its demand to make party president Shibu Soren the first chief minister of the new Jharkhand state.

Annoucing the stand of the party, JMM's representative in the Rajya Sabha R K Anand said in New Delhi on Sunday night that 'now we will not support the NDA at any cost. There is no point in continuing with the NDA as it has gone back on its promise made to the people during the last assembly election."

Shibu Soren, who arrived in Ranchi after the failure of talks with NDA leaders in Delhi, said that the official announcement in this regard would be made after the meeting of the party's executive in Patna on November 7.

It needs to be clarified that the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha was never a constituent of the NDA in the way the other 24 partners are. In fact, it was ranged against the NDA in the February 2000 assembly elections in Bihar.

It was only when Nitish Kumar staked his claim to Bihar's chief ministership last March that it decided to throw its weight behind the NDA and not the Rashtriya Janata Dal-led alliance.

The JMM has repeatedly been claiming that it extended support to Nitish Kumar with the explicit understanding that Soren would be made the chief minister whenever the new state of Jharkhand was created.

However, Nitish Kumar issued a statement in Bhopal on Sunday denying any such promise was made to Soren in exchange for support of 12 JMM legislators. Notwithstanding the support of the JMM, Kumar's government fell after just seven days.

Nitish's denial raises the question why NDA leaders had never bothered to contradict Soren despite him repeatedly stating that he was the unanimous choice for the post of chief minister.

It is only recently that the BJP began asserting its own claim for the top post saying it has the highest number of legislators (32) in the new state.

In fact, several NDA leaders, including Minister of State for Railways Digvijay Singh, had in the past stated that such an assurance was indeed given to Soren at the time of the formation of the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar.

The NDA had recently utilised the services of Digvijay Singh to mollify the JMM chief.

The JMM's recent efforts to cobble up an anti-NDA alliance with the RJD, Congress and Left parties may not really work. The NDA has managed to win over the fence sitters to its side and crossed the 42 legislators mark necessary to form the government in the House of 81. Apart from its 32 legislators, the BJP can bank on five legislators of the Samata Party and three of the Janata Dal (U).

The BJP played the waiting game keeping its card close to its chest. It did nothing to antagonise Soren and kept the channels of negotiation open with him. Had it flatly rejected Soren's claim a month or two back, it would have given Soren ample time to muster support with the help of the RJD and other allies.

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NDA says 'no' to Soren
Soren will eat humble pie before BJP
JMM unable to decide on ties with NDA
Soren's son offered deputy chief ministership
JMM legislature party may split
BJP rejects JMM demand for chief ministership
NDA accepts Congressman Sadanand Singh as Bihar speaker

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