It is clear as day that in Jharkhand the sole aim of the state’s political elite has been to willy-nilly insinuate themselves into authority
Yet again, Jharkhand presents us with a sorry, oft-repeated, story. The BJP-led coalition government headed by Arjun Munda put in its papers when Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Shibu Soren pulled the rug from under his feet earlier this week.
The JMM supremo says the BJP declined to honour the political pact reached with his party to hand over the chief minister’s position to the JMM in the second half of the government’s term. Mr Munda flatly denies such an agreement was reached.
If such is the state of trust or understanding between the two key partners of the ruling coalition, it is hard to see that the administration would have done anything purposeful for a state that sits on a pile of mineral wealth but its people are abjectly poor. It is clear as day that in Jharkhand, since the state was formed in 2000 by carving it out of Bihar, the sole aim of the state’s political elite has been to willy-nilly insinuate themselves into authority with the ill-disguised aim of making hay. No wonder there have been eight governments in 12 years, and none has lasted more than two and a half years. What is the point of electing such governments, people of the state are entitled to wonder.
The outgoing government has asked for fresh elections. The BJP clearly wants to be in the driver’s seat — with Mr Munda being the caretaker chief minister — when the next election is called. But the demand appears untenable since the Cabinet meeting which made the recommendation was not attended by the JMM ministers. As such, the forum was not representative and hence not entitled to approach the governor with the plea for fresh polls.
This should not, however, mean that governor Syed Ahmed should permit the Congress, whose state leaders are said to be eyeing the chance to grab power within the present Assembly, to put together a fresh government through horse-trading. The best Mr Ahmed can do in the circumstances is to allow a political cooling off period by recommending President’s Rule for six months in the first instance, and use this time period to push through some people-oriented projects which may have been wasting in the pipeline.
Once again we have seen the small-state syndrome play out in Jharkhand. Nearly all our small states are prone to easy destabilisation if a handful of MLAs agree to switch sides for a price. A constitutional remedy is needed.
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