BJP likely to take final call on Jharkhand government today

New Delhi/May 14 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to arrive at a consensus over who will be Jharkhand's new chief minister on Friday.

Senior BJP leaders are meeting here to finalise the name.

After the meeting, the party is likely to send observers to Ranchi to convey its decision to party MLAs.

Interacting with media in Chandigarh on Thursday, BJP president Nitin Gadkari said the party would take a final call on Friday.

"I had only a brief meeting with party observers in Delhi yesterday as I was flying to Chandigarh. Tomorrow evening, when I will return to Delhi, I will be meeting them and other senior leaders," Gadkari said.

Meanwhile, the lack of consensus among BJP leaders has led to the delay in arriving at a solution to the crisis.

The JMM is insisting on a rotational power sharing arrangement.

Under that scheme, the BJP would get to head the state government for 28 months followed by the JMM for another 28 months.

Apparently, the JMM has agreed to let the BJP the first chance at chief ministership although the JMM has already been heading the government for the last five months.

The JMM-BJP coalition government plunged into a political crisis after the BJP withdrew support to government in the wake of Chief Minister Shibu Soren voting in favour of the UPA during the cut motion in parliament on April 27.

The BJP first announced it would immediately withdraw support from the JMM-led government, which would have brought it down and effectively led to the imposition of President's Rule or attempts by the Congress to form an alternative government.

However, by April 29 when the party received a letter from Hemant Soren, son of the Chief Minister Shibu Soren, offering to support the BJP in leading the coalition, the withdrawal of support was "put on hold" and a dialogue was opened. (ANI)