Won't bend before Shibu Soren, Jharkhand govt safe: BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday downplayed Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief Shibu Soren's threat to withdraw support to the Arjun Munda-led coalition government in Jharkhand, saying it is the democratic process that matters and no compromise will be made with the principles and promises.

"The government (in Jharkhand) is not a major subject. The BJP had taken the responsibility to ensure that there is a democratic process in Jharkhand along with the JMM and the AJSU. There was a common minimum programme, and the Chief Minister Arjun Munda has just clarified it in his letter two days before," said BJP General Secretary Dharmendra Pradhan.

"It is the democratic process not the government, which matters for the BJP, and we will not compromise with our principals and promises," he added.

Pradhan, who was assigned additional responsibility to look after the party activities in Jharkhand in August 2011, further said Munda has clarified everything, and added that it is not a matter of being right or wrong.

"We still hope that every issue can be solved in the coordination committee meeting headed by Shibu Soren. The BJP is doing everything to maintain a democratic process in Jharkhand, will continue to do whatever is possible in its limitations," said Pradhan.

"It was not a pre-poll arrangement. We all have our own politics and ideology. We have come together to provide a stable government in the state under a common minimum programme, and whatever is going to be in future, will be done according to that promises only," he added.

Soren has threatened the BJP that his political outfit would walk out of the alliance if the chief minister's post is not handed over to the JMM as a part of the deal under which the two parties had agreed to share it for 28 months each.

The BJP has, however, so far maintained that no such agreement was worked out between the two parties.

Both the JMM and the BJP have 18 MLAs each in the 81-member Jharkhand assembly.

If the JMM withdraws its support than the Munda government will fall.

Munda, whose 28-month tenure ends on January 10, had earlier last week said he had in writing rejected JMM's claim that there was a power sharing deal between the two parties and that the latter has to take a decision keeping stability of the government in mind.