UPA pulls up socks for alternative government

Ranchi, Sep 14 (UNI) No sooner had Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda resigned without facing the floor on the state assembly test today than the Opposition UPA in the state embarked on hectic parleys to decide their Chief Ministerial candidate.

Union Coal Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) supremo Shibu Soren told reporters here the name of Chief Ministerial candidate would be announced after a meeting of the UPA partners and claimed that it would be consensus one.

The meeting began after the brief extended monsoon session in the presence of Railway Minster Lalu Prasad, Union Food Processing Minister Subodh Kant Sahay, Ms Noor Banu (Cong), in-charge of Jharkhand, Rajya Sabha member from the state Mebel Rebello and other senior leaders.

Mr Soren said the UPA would stake a formal claim to form the next government after the resignation of Mr Munda was accepted by Governor Syed Sibtey Razi.

Mr Madhu Koda, whose name as the Chief Ministerial candidate was announced yesterday by the Railway Minister, today said the matter would be decided in the UPA meeting.

UNI PRS SJC