JD (U) under pressure to remain in government

Daltonganj, July 7 (UNI) The Speaker-Home Minister brawl in Jharkhand today took a new turn when a senior leader from the state JD (U), a ruling ally with six MLAs in the 43-member BJP-led NDA government, requested the leadership to withdraw from the government and support it from outside.

State Vice-President Vinod Narayan Dixit regretted yesterday that Home Minister Sudesh Mahto's supporters symbolically took out a funeral procession of speaker Inder Singh Namdhari in the state.

Addressing newspersons in Jharkhand's Daltonganj, Mr Dixit charged that the Chief Minister was supporting Mr Mahto silently and urged the party leadership to reconsider its decision whether it would continue with the government after such a humiliation .

The controversy arose when the speaker, at a public meeting on July 4, accused Mr Mahto of harbouring criminals.

Reacting to the speaker's statement, Mr Mahto last night said the statement was 'politically motivated.' The home minister, after two days of silence, hit back saying the speaker was eyeing the Chief Minister's chair.

Mr Namdhari in 2003 had tried to stage a coup, in which Mr Babulal Marandi was dethroned, and now he was trying to create an atmosphere so that the Arjun Munda government fell.

In Ranchi, the All Jharkhand's Students Union (AJSU), took out symbolic funeral processions yesteredy and burnt effigies of the speaker.

Mr Dixit alleged that all this happened under the instruction of a minister only and accused the Chief Minister of supporting the Home Minister.

He said Mr Munda was ignoring the JD (U) and their MLAs were not given proper responsibility in the government.

Party leaders in districts were moving away from 20-point programme implementation committees.

Mr Dixit said the central leadership of his party was aware of every development in the state.

He said Mr Munda was not paying heed to party's National President Sharad Yadav adding that the situation became intolerable and it was difficult for the party to support the government.

The outburst from the speaker, a JD (U) legislator from Daltonganj constituency, might snowball into a major political crisis as the BJP-led government had a thin majority in the house of 82, including a nominated member.

The BJP with 30 MLAs is running the government with another five legislators from the JD (U) and five independents.

Mr Namdhari on July 5 got the support of his party as two MLAs, who were also ministers in the government, said they would rally behind the speaker in the crisis.

Chief Minister Arjun Munda (BJP) was under tremendous pressure following the JD (U)'s open revolt against the Home Minister, who was equally important in the government, being an independent MLA from the group of five.

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