The political crisis in Jharkhand continues as the BJP and JMM fail to break the deadlock over power sharing in the state.

The political crisis in Jharkhand continues as the BJP and JMM fail to break the deadlock over power sharing in the state. The row began when the BJP threatened to withdraw support to the JMM-led government in Jharkhand, after Chief Minister Shibu Soren, who has retained his Lok Sabha seat, voted in favour of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) on April 27 against the BJP's cut motion in the house. However, the saffron party put its decision on hold after Hemant Soren wrote a letter to BJP chief Nitin Gadkari expressing support to a BJP-led government in the state.

JMM has now asked BJP to share power with them in Jharkhand on 50:50 basis, two days after the saffron party said it would head the coalition for the rest of the tenure (four and half years) of the present house.

After Shibu Soren chaired a 3-hour-long legislature party meeting, his son and JMM legislative party leader Hemant Soren stated the party would wait for BJP's reply to the sharing of power between the allies and would again discuss on the issue on May 12, depending on the ally's stand.

Speaking on the issue, Hemant said, "During the meeting with BJP President Nitin Gadkari and others, we proposed sharing of power for 28 months each. But now, we have learnt that BJP is willing to govern the state for a full term. For the sake of stability and development of the state, we have given the post of Chief Minister to the BJP. And now, it is up to them to think over the issue of sharing power on 50-50 basis."

Asked when Chief Minister Shibu Soren would resign, Hemant said, "Let the BJP choose its Chief Ministerial candidate and clear its stand on the 50-50 proposal."

Meanwhile, factionalism within BJP's Jharkhand unit is likely to delay selection of a new Chief Minister. The BJP Legislative Party on Tuesday authorised BJP Chief Nitin Gadkari to take the final call on the new Jharkhand Chief Minister, even as JMM put new playing conditions on the announcement of the new BJP CM. As per the new conditions, leader of the JMM legislators, Hemant Soren, is pressing hard to divide the rest of the ruling term in the ratio of 28-28 months. But, the BJP is in favour of ruling the state for the whole of the remaining period.

The two front runners for the post of Chief Minister - former Chief Minister and party General Secretary Arjun Munda and state BJP chief and Deputy Chief Minister Ragubar Das - are undertaking intensive lobbying within the party to get the post.
Two BJP observers, Rajnath Singh and Ananth Kumar, deputed by the party president to assess the situation, met party legislators in the state party office and heard their views on government formation and their choice of Chief Minister.

The All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) is also playing a key role in the episode and is trying its best so that the NDA rule remains intact in the state.

On one hand, some JMM legislators are in favour of forming a secular government in the state, while on the other, Hemant Soren is in favour of installation of a BJP-led government in the state. Thus, the formation of a stable government in Jharkhand is on hold due to the conflict of interests within the parties, which, by the look of things, may take a while to get resolved.