New BJP chief confident of forming government in Jharkhand

Mumbai, Dec 27 (ANI): The newly elected President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Nitin Gadkari, has said that his party would be a part of the government in Jharkhand.

BJP supporters gathered in large numbers to welcome Gadkari at he Santacruz Airport on his arrival in Mumbai

Addressing party workers and supporters, Gadkari said Jharkhand would be the ninth state to be ruled by the BJP.

"When there were two Members of Parliament, people started saying that the BJP was on the verge of collapse. Today, we have a government in eight states and when I was coming out of the airport, I got a call from Rajnath Singh saying that we will now be ruling in ninth state as well. That is in Jharkhand," he said.

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Sibu Soren has staked a claim to form the government in Jharkhand with the support of the BJP and the All Jharkhand Students Union.

According to reports, the list of legislatures submitted to the Jharkhand Governor to form the government includes 18 each of the JMM and BJP, five of the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU), besides the lone MLA of Jharkhand Janadhikar Manch led by Bandhu Tirkey.

It has been four days after the results of the polls for the Jharkhand State Assembly elections threw up all sorts of possibilities with no single party in a position to form a government of its own in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly.

Sibu Soren's Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has surprised everyone by winning 18 seats and he has emerged as the kingmaker.

The Congress and Babulal Marandi's Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) has emerged as the largest political block, winning 25 seats. (ANI)