New Delhi/Ranchi, Aug. 22: Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda played the seasoned politician today and did not end the excruciating suspense for Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief Shibu Soren as also for the Congress and RJD.
He deferred the decision on stepping down in favour of Soren till tomorrow after meeting RJD supremo Lalu Prasad. The chief minister called on UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to hold a lengthy meeting before telling waiting mediapersons that he would let the decision be known on Saturday.
“I do not want to talk anything about my meeting with Mrs Sonia Gandhi. We will hold another round of discussion tomorrow before deciding,” he told reporters.
Immediately after that another meeting took place at the residence of external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee. Besides, Koda, Shibu Soren, Ahmed Patel and Maharashtra politician Kripa Shankar Singh were said to have attended the crucial meet.
Kripa Shankar Singh’s son is married to the daughter of Jharkhand’s Kamlesh Singh and the former is said to be playing mediator, sources said. Before the meeting with Sonia Gandhi, Congress sources had said that the meeting was only a formality. Since none of the MLAs in Jharkhand was in favour of elections, Koda would step down in favour of the UPA.
However, the chief minister turned out to be a strong bargainer. He was understood to have negotiated a respectable exit and a secure future. Speculation was rife that some Congress MLAs were also averse to Soren.
For the Congress and RJD, however much they may be averse to a change in the scene in Jharkhand, Soren’s threat to pull out of the UPA months before the general elections could prove disastrous.
Congress spokesperson and minister of state for home Shakeel Ahmed said that his party wanted to retain a secular coalition instead of giving NDA a chance to grab power.
“We want a secular coalition whether it is headed by Madhu Koda or by Shibu Soren,” he said. Ahmed’s non-committal statement was attributed to the consistent uncertainty in the state that was compelled to have an Independent legislator as chief minister in absence of consensus after the BJP lost power last year.
In Ranchi this morning, Koda looked confident as he boarded a special flight to Delhi along with deputy chief minister Stephen Marandi. He stuck to his earlier stand and claimed he still had the support of the independents.
“I am ready to quit, if Sonia Gandhi wants me to do so. But, as far the independents are concerned, their has been no change in their stand when they decided to join my cabinet,” he said.
Marandi reiterated that a change of guard in the state was unwarranted at the moment.
Later, speaking from Delhi, the chief minister said: “I am not worried about myself. I have to protect the interests of my political friends and the masses who are pinning their hopes on me.”
