Ending a fortnight-long stalemate, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and All Jharkhand Students Union on Saturday announced support to a Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in Jharkhand for the remaining four-and-a-half year tenure of the state assembly.
The decision was arrived at a meeting attended by BJP president Nitin Gadkari, senior party leader Ananth Kumar, Jharkhand Deputy Chief Minister Raghubar Das, JMM legislature party leader Hemant Soren and AJSU president Sudesh Mahato in New Delhi. The BJP parliamentary board will meet on Monday to decide its chief ministerial candidate.
"We had fruitful discussions with senior BJP leaders. We will support a government in Jharkhand under BJP leadership. The decision has been taken to save the state from President's Rule," Soren said.
BJP general secretary Ananth Kumar insisted that the talks ended on a happy note.
"A BJP-led government will be formed in Jharkhand. We want to save the state from Congress' misrule. A stable government which stands for development will be formed," he said.
"We have decided that this government will complete its full term. This decision has been taken for the entire period of the assembly," Kumar added.
A Common Minimum Programme on how to run the government will be chalked out soon. Gadkari is sending an observer to Ranchi to discuss the matter with the BJP, JMM, AJSU and Janata Dal - United leaders from the state.
The BJP, which had decided to withdraw support to the Shibu Soren government on April 28 after the JMM chief voted against the BJP-sponsored cut-motions in the Lok Sabha, put its decision on hold after Hemant made an offer to BJP to head the government in the state.
Among the front-runners for the post of chief minister are former Union minister Yashwant Sinha, former chief minister and general secretary Arjun Munda and Deputy Chief Minister Raghubar Das.
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