President`s rule imposed in Indian state Jharkhand

New Delhi, Jun 1 (PTI) Jharkhand Tuesday came under
Central rule with President of India Pratibha Patil accepting
a recommendation of the Union Cabinet after Congress and BJP
gave up efforts to form an alternative government following
resignation of Chief Minister Shibu Soren.
The eastern Indian state Assembly will be kept in
suspended animation during President's rule, which has been
imposed for a second time in two years, a Rashtrapati Bhavan
(Presidential Palace) official said.
A meeting of the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh, had Monday morning recommended to the
President imposition of Central rule on the basis of the
report of Jharkhand Governor M O H Farooq to the Centre on
Monday.
Farooq is understood to have recommended clamping of
Central rule following his meeting leaders of major political
parties in Ranchi. Congress and Bhartiya Janta Party had both
indicated their inability to form an alternative government in
the state.
The Soren government was reduced to a minority on May
24 when BJP, with 18 MLAs and Janta Dal(United) with two,
withdrew support to it. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, with 18
MLAs and having the support of seven other legislators, was
short of the required 42 in the 82-member House.
The BJP took the decision after Soren voted against the
cut motions sponsored by the opposition in the Lower House of
the Parliament Lok Sabha on April 27.
Congress, with a strength of 14, and its ally Jharkhand
Viskas Morcha (Prajatantrik) with 11 members, had said it did
not have the numbers to stake claim to form a government
Jharkhand, which has seen seven chief ministers since
its creation on November 15, 2000, came under President's rule
for the first time on January 19, last year, which was
extended by six months in July. (More) PTI