Two senior Jharkhand ministers back Shibu Soren for CM post

Dumka, Aug 25 (UNI) Two senior ministers of the Jharkhand government have said if a decision is taken to appoint JMM chief Shibu Soren as Chief Minister of the State, all the allies of the coalition government will support him.

Though Health Minister Bhanu Pratap Shahi and Education minister Bandhu Tirki ruled out any possibility of a change of guard in the state, they said if Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad decide to hand over the reins to Soren, all, including the allies of United Progressive Alliance (UPA), will back him.

Mr Shahi and Mr Tirki today told UNI here that the JMM chief is the unanimously accepted leader of Jharkhand. The post of Chief Minister is not big enough for his persona but if the UPA decides to make him Chief Minister, it will be acceptable to every body, they added.

While answering a question, the leaders said it was the greatness of Chief Minister Madhu Koda that he had agreed to step down in favour of Soren. They said the common man and all UPA leaders were depressed when Soren was sent to jail, but now every body is happy over his acquittal.

Both the leaders also claimed that in the Jamshedpur by-election, JMM candidate Suman Mehto will win by a record margin. They said the UPA has set eyes on winning the Jamshedpur election, which is the traditional pocket borough for the JMM, adding that Soren after being released from jail can go there to canvass.

UNI