Jharkhand: Son Hemant offers his seat to Soren

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha Legislative Party leader Hemant Soren on Thursday submitted his resignation letter as an MLA to his father Shibu Soren and offered his Dumka seat to the Jharkhand chief minister to contest and enter the state assembly.

Hemant's move comes on a day when the Bharatiya Janata Party likely to take a final decision on supporting the JMM-led government in the state. The party had announced withdrawal of support to the government on April 28, but had kept the decision on hold following Hemant's request.

"Hemant has submitted his resignation letter to the CM, asking him to contest from Dumka. Now it depends upon the CM whether to accept it and forward it to the Speaker or not," a close aide of Hemant said in Ranchi.

However, Hemant has not sought any appointment with Speaker C P Singh.

Soren, who took oath as chief minister on December 30 last year, must enter the Jharkhand assembly by June 30 as per the Constitution.

Hemant's offer came a week after he had requested the BJP to take over the leadership in the government with the JMM's support and said that Soren was ready to quit his post.

The BJP withdrew support to the Jharkhand government after Shibu Soren, still an MP, voted for the UPA during cut motions in Lok Sabha.

Soren's vote for UPA on April 27 had plunged the state into a political crisis which is going on for nearly ten days now.