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Soren confident he will be Jharkhand CM

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief Shibu Soren Monday reiterated that he would head the newly created Jharkhand state even as the ruling National Democratic Alliance at the Centre rejected his claim to the new state's chief ministership.

"No party is in majority in Jharkhand and nobody can prevent me from occupying the chief minister's post. I will head the government that will take over the reigns of the state on November 15," he told reporters at a crowded press conference in New Delhi.

Soren pointed out that the NDA had reneged on its promise to make him the chief minister of Jharkhand. "The promise was made by former Union minister Nitish Kumar and Defence Minister George Fernandes," he said.

"Problems are solved and issues settled through negotiations, but the NDA is trying to impose its will on the people by insisting that the chief minister's post would go to the Bharatiya Janata Party (NDA's main constituent)," he said and added that his party may now think about withdrawing support to the NDA.

He said his party is in close touch with Laloo Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress. He said he would leave for Patna in the evening where he would hold discussions with the state's top leaders.

When pointed out that the NDA is numerically in a stronger position with 40 MLAs in its fold ( ( BJP 32, Samata Party 5 and Janata Dal-United 3), Soren said: "There are 40 seats on the other side also."

The Congress has 11 seats, the RJD nine, Independents two, the CPI (M-L) one, the CPI two, the UGDP two, apart from the JMM's 12 in the newly-created state.

Even if Soren manages to rope in all legislators from all non-NDA parties he would have only 39 MLAs under his wings.

JMM national spokesman Muktinath Upadhyay told rediff.com: "If the BJP thinks that it is the only party in a solid position, it is mistaken. We too will spare no efforts in forming the government."

Some JMM workers said talks are already on with the Samata and the JD (U).

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