Ranchi, April 29: Raghubar Das, the BJP chief minister of the state's first majority government, is jockeying for influence on the proposed state domicile policy with political foes like the JMM, proof enough of how the longstanding issue is an emotive gunpowder.

Das, whose party has held out two possible years 1985 and 2000 as cut-off dates for domicile to end the longstanding decade on the insider-outsider issue, has met JMM president Shibu Soren and his son and party working president Hemant Soren, to work out a consensus.

Though the BJP and JMM traded allegations before the December Assembly elections, Das seems to be courting the Sorens now - albeit in a hush-hush way - to get the tribal seal on the BJP's final domicile policy, especially as JVM's Babulal Marandi is demanding that "secret ruminations" be made public.

Yet, the BJP and JMM have not yet arrived at a middle ground on a cut-off year to determine who qualifies as resident of Jharkhand and who doesn't.

The BJP largely favours 2000 because Jharkhand was born that year. During core committee and party legislative meetings, some had suggested 1985, because a Bihar government circular saying permanent residents of respective districts would be eligible for third and fourth grade government jobs of that district came into effect around 1984-85. It suits the BJP, which wants to merge domicile and employment policies of the state.

Both 1985 and 2000 as cut-off years will include a wide range of communities, including non-tribals, something the BJP is comfortable with.

But, the JMM is not.

It initially favoured 1932 as the cut-off year as it would please the tribal heartland.

The JMM wants different domicile cut-off years for different circles based on last land survey done in each, which includes 1932, 1957 and 1964, and grade III and IV job reservations corroborating accordingly, JMM veteran and former Assembly Speaker Shashank Shekhar Bhokta told The Telegraph this evening, speaking on behalf of his party.

Though some may argue the JMM's suggestion of different years for different circles is more a political expediency to buy time than a viable solution, one thing is clear.

The JMM does not need to please the BJP. In fact, the BJP needs the JMM's backing more at this juncture than the other way round.

No one seems to be in a mood to bend and arrive at a cut-off consensus. Ideologically in conflict, with different vote banks, though the BJP and JMM had been improbable and thorny coalition allies in desperate times, the last Assembly results have made both secure in their roles of ruling party and Opposition.

"We welcome the chief minister's seriousness on this matter," said Hemant. "But, we feel last land revenue surveys held in respective revenue divisions should be cut-off dates for domicile."

Sources close to Das said he wanted one cut-off date for domicile, automatically applicable on local employment policy.

Also, the BJP can't politically afford to back the year 1932.

"The CM knows Bihar will go to polls this year. Jharkhand has sizeable population of people originally from Bihar. If the BJP defines this vast section as outsiders, we will suffer immediate collateral damage in Bihar and in Jharkhand in the long run," a BJP leader said.

Also, lakhs of tribal, non-tribal and nomadic tribes had land-less forefathers. If 1932 is taken as cut-off date, they will have no proof of residency.

Das seems to hold the view that whoever has immovable property and has been living in Jharkhand right before the year of cut-off, either 1985 or 2000, would be treated as a resident of Jharkhand.

Jharkhand and central government servants who retired from jobs while working for the state government may opt for Jharkhand domicile, so can their children. State government servants originally belonging to Bihar and whose service was attached to Jharkhand during cadre division after the younger state's birth can opt for domicile of either Bihar or Jharkhand.

The BJP might also be facing a problem closer home. Alliance partner Ajsu, which claims to champion the sadans or non-tribal original settlers, pitched for 1932 as the cut-off date of domicile.

Besides the Sorens, Das has held extensive talks with BJP's own senior tribal face and Khunti MP Karia Munda, former Hazaribagh MP Yashwant Sinha, Ajsu chief Sudesh Mahto, representatives of different tribal outfits and intellectuals.