JMM legislator threatens to resign from Koda ministry

Jamshedpur, Sep 26 (UNI) The newly-formed Madhu Koda led UPA government in Jharkhand seffered a jolt with JMM legislator Sukhram Oraon threatening to resign if the two MLAs from Kolhan region were not given ministerial berths.

Mr Oraon, the MLA from Chakradharpur in West Singhbhum district said he would quit from the state Legistaltive Assembly and also resign from the primary membership of the party if Seraikela MLA Champai Soren and Jugsalai MLA Dulal Bhuiyan were not accomodated as ministers in the one-week old Koda government.

Mr Oraon, who is also the JMM district president, while talking to the newspersons at Chakradharpur yesterday claimed that he along with four other MLAs were ready to tender their resignations if his demand was not fulfilled.

Significantly, four MLAs--two from JMM and two from UGDP--were sworn in as ministers in the UPA government on September 24, raising the number of ministers to eight and four ministers would be inducted as per Constitutional provision, which permits only 12 ministers in the 82-member (one nominated) house.

Mr Oraon said both Mr Soren and Mr Bhuiyan have actively participated in the decade-long Jharkhand movement and sacrificed for the formation of a separate Jharkhand state.

He claimed both the leaders should be an ''automatic choice'' in the Madhu Koda government.

Notwithstanding the statement of Mr Oraon, both Mr Soren and Mr Bhuiyan, however, expressed loyalty with party supremo Shibu Soren and said they would accept whatever decision 'Guruji' would take.

Meanwhile, Sudhir Mahto (JMM), the former opposition leader, who was inducted as cabinet minister in the government was accorded a warm welcome after his arrival in his home town here last evening.

Mr Mahto, the MLA from Ichagar in Seraikela-Kharsawan district, also paid homage at the statue of his elder brother and the slain JMM president Nirmal Mahto.

Later, talking to newspersons Mr Mahto said the coalition governement in Jharkhand would run smoothly and the problems regarding expansion of the cabinet would be resolved soon.

He said the two JMM MLAs would be inducted in the ministry if the RJD would remain rigid in their stands of not joining the ministry.

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