Shibu Soren's JMM holds key to next govt in J'khand

Ranchi, Dec 23 (PTI) Jharkhand (India's eastern state)
elections Wednesday returned a fractured verdict in which
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) appeared to be holding the key to
the new government as the Congress-Jharkhand Vikas
Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P) alliance emerged the single
largest group and could be having an edge.

Continuing its good electoral run since the Lower
House of Indian Parliament (Lok Sabha) elections, the Congress
party, which fought in alliance with Babulal Marandi
led-JVM(P), bagged 13 seats while its partner got an
impressive 10 seats in its electoral debut.
In a House of 81 seats, Shibu Soren-led JMM, fighting
on its own, secured 18 seats and was being wooed by both the
major combinations for forming the government.
Indications of a tough bargain came from JMM, which
said that the party's support would go to anyone who would
support "Guruji", the name by which Soren is fondly called by
his admirers.
Reeling under a string of electoral debacles, the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) failed to break the jinx when its
tally fell to 18 from 30 in the 2005 elections. Its ally
Janata Dal-United (JD-U) managed a paltry two as against six
it had.
Another party which could play an important role is
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress' former ally and now
outside supporter of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA)
government at the Indian Government. Lalu Prasad's party has
got 5 seats that could be crucial to formation of a government
of a secular combine.
Both the Congress and BJP made it clear that they were
keen on forming a government in which 13 MLAs (Members of
Legislative Assembly) belonging to the 'Others' category and
Independents would be much-sought after by rival combinations.
(More) PTI PVR
ANU


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