Palamu result not mandate for Koda govt : Marandi

Ranchi, Apr 2 (UNI) With the ruling UPA eulogising its policy and the Opposition NDA charging the former with resorting to foul means to win the Palamu Parliamentary byelection, former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi said the political situaion in Jharkhand still warranted A mid-term poll for better governance.

As the result of the March 29 by election was announced today, Mr Marandi, whose newly formed Jharkhand Vikash Morcha (Democratic) was placed fourth, told a press conference here that the UPA allies were not necessarily required to term the verdict as a mandate for them as its votes percentage had declined in the constituency.

'' Same is the case with the NDA, '' Mr Marandi, the MP from Koderma, said and noted that the JVM (Democratic) in the fray for the first time bagged 1,16,036 votes against BJP's tally of 1,41,329.

Asked about his last month statement that he would oust the UPA government by April, Mr Marandi said the issue was still on as the Palamu verdict could not be seen as a mandate for the Koda government.

On the other hand, elated over the result, Chief Minister Madhu Koda hit back hard on Mr Marandi, saying he should now retire from politics.

Mr Koda also did not spare former Speaker Inder Singh Namdhari, who resigned from the Assembly membership as well as the JD(U) over his support for the BJP nominee in Palamu.

Heaping praise on Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, Mr Koda said his popularity among the mass helped the UPA win and claimed that it also established that people of Jharkhand accepted his government's policy.

Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Arjun Munda charged the UPA with misusing government machinery to win the bypoll and expressed doubt over the incidence of 200 EVMs found unmanned.

State congress president Pradeep Kumar Balmuchu thanked the people of Palamu for reposing faith in the UPA and said the party would work hard for the local body polls due in the state.

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha also echoed the allies' euphoria over the poll verdict.

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