Fresh elections if Munda govt falls, Marandi

Ranchi, May 24 (UNI) Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Babulal Marandi, who resigned from the BJP and Lok Sabha charging the ruling state government with "corruption", has said if the present Arjun Munda government falls than fresh elections should be held in the state.

Mr Marandi said his resignation had been tendered on the issues involving corruption, extremism and poor development and it should be seen as "ploy" to destabilise the Munda government.

Talking to UNI after his return from New Delhi, he reietrated that he did not have the agenda to topple the NDA government in Jharkhand.

He made it clear that he was not even in favour hammering out a new coalition to rule the state if the present regime fails to continue.

Asked about his next strategy, the former chief minister said he was not in a hurry to launch his new party and on May 26 next he would meet opposition leader and Former Deputy Chief Minister Stephen Marandi under the banner of Jharkhand Vikash Morcha, a non-government organisation.

"I took the decision to resign from the BJP after lot of considerations though I was associated with it for a long time...Now also I will not take any decision in haste," he said.

Trying to bring home his seriousness over the three-point agenda raised by him, Mr Marandi said if Mr Munda addressed them earnestly then he won't have any problem in supporting the government.

When Mr Munda's recent counter allegation that the naxalite movement gained ground in his predecessor's tenure only, Mr Marandi, the first Chief Minister of Jharkhand, shot back saying "yet it was there...We read about dacoity and theft in Ramayana and Mahabharata too...But I tried to address the issue seriously".

"I am saying the present BJP government was not giving due attention to the problem. Development is not taking place in right direction leading to spurt in naxalite movement," Mr Marandi said.

When his attention was brought to leaving the BJP, he said he had been informing the leadership of his grievances for the past three years but no one listened to him.

The BJP enjoys a thin majority in the assembly with ruling NDA comprising BJP-30, JD (U)-6, NCP-1, IND-2, JP-1, AJSU-2 and one nominated member taking the total to 43, while opposition UPA comprises JMM-17, Cong-9, RJD-7, CPI (ML)-1, UDGP-2, FB-2 and IND-1 with a total of 39.

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