Advani upset over coalition with JMM in Jharkhand

New Delhi, Sep 10 (ANI): Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Lal Krishna Advani may skip the swearing-in-ceremony of Arjun Munda as Jharkhand Chief Minister on September 11 with reports coming in that the BJP is a divided house over its alliance with Shibu Soren's Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).

Arjun Munda will take oath along with Shibu Soren's son Hemant Soren and All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) leader Sudesh Mahato, who will be sworn in as Deputy Chief Ministers.

Jharkhand Governor MOH Farooq has invited Munda to be sworn in at around 11 a.m. on September 11, and has asked him to prove his majority in the assembly within seven days.

As per the fresh arrangement, the State will have two Deputy Chief Ministers and the BJP has also decided to keep the Speaker's post for itself.

Earlier on Thursday, the Union Cabinet approved revocation of President's Rule in Jharkhand.

The decision comes after the BJP staked a claim to form a government in Jharkhand with the support of the JMM.

Governor Farooq sent his report to the Centre on Tuesday, recommending revocation of Central rule in the state, hours after BJP legislative party leader Arjun Munda submitted a list of 45 legislators, four more than the number required to form government in the 81-member assembly.

The JMM-BJP coalition government plunged into a political crisis after the BJP withdrew support to government in the wake of Shibu Soren voting in favour of the UPA during the cut motion in parliament on April 27.

The BJP first announced it would immediately withdraw support from the JMM-led Government, which would have brought it down and effectively led to the imposition of President's Rule or attempts by the Congress to form an alternative government.

However, by April 29 when the party received a letter from Hemant Soren, offering to support the BJP in leading the coalition, the withdrawal of support was "put on hold" and a dialogue was opened.

The JMM backtracked and demanded rotational power sharing with each party leading the government for 28 months.

This was agreed to by BJP on the understanding that Soren will quit as Chief Minister by May 25 after which Munda will head the new coalition government.

The JMM and the BJP have 18 MLAs each and the Soren Government has the support of two Janata Dal (United) legislators and five from the AJSU, besides two others in the 82-member Assembly.

The Congress has 14 MLAs, Jharkhand Vikas Manch (JVM) has 11 MLAs and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has five MLAs.

Earlier in May this year, the BJP withdrew from the Shibu Soren-led coalition government after Soren's JMM voted with the Congress in Parliament, against the BJP-sponsored cut-motion on rising fuel prices. (ANI)