No ties with Shibu Soren: Sharad Yadav

NEW DELHI - Janata Dal-United (JD-U) chief Sharad Yadav on Thursday refused to align with Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Shibu Soren following his vote in favour of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government on the cut motion.

“We have declared our stand on Jharkhand. We cannot align with a person who cannot follow his words,” said Yadav.

Miffed with Soren’s vote in favour of the UPA, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) withdrew its support to the JMM-led Government in Jharkhand on Wednesday that reduced it to a minority.

Meanwhile, Keshav Rao, In-charge of Congress party in Jharkhand refused to speak on the issue and said that he had nothing to do with the matter and would speak only after a decision is taken.

“I have nothing to do with the Jharkhand issue. It is not our making. I am in a hurry. But certainly, we are watching every development very carefully and will only react after that,” said Keshav Rao.

“I have nothing to do with it. I am not putting my head there. I don’t want to pull down any government or destabilize anybody or any party. So when things develop, then I will react,” he added.

There are also speculations that Soren may have struck a deal with the Congress party.

It is reported that Jharkhand might then have a JMM, Congress and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P) coalition government.

In the 81-member assembly, Congress has 14 legislators, JMM 18 and the JVM (P) has 11 assembly members.

Soren was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand on December 30, 2009 for the third time.

He had formed the government with a five-party coalition.

Soren had secured the support of 44 MLAs in the 81-member House after the assembly elections in Jharkhand gave a fractured verdict.

The JMM had 18 seats, BJP had 18 seats, Janata Dal-United (JD-U) had two seats, All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) had five seats and Jharkhand Janadhikar Manch (JJM) had one seat in the assembly. (ANI)