New Delhi, April 28: A “betrayed” BJP on Wednesday decided to withdraw support to the four-month-old Shibu Soren-led coalition government in Jharkhand. The move, triggered because of Mr Soren voting against the cut motion moved by the BJP in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, has led to political instability in the state, which could possibly be looking at a  long spell of President’s Rule.

Interestingly, at the time of formation of the coalition government in the state, despite objections from a section of the party suggesting that going with the “unpredictable” Mr Soren would cost the party dearly, BJP president Nitin Gadkari prevailed and decided to form the coalition with the JMM.
After withdrawal of support by the BJP, which has 18 members, the strength of the ruling coalition has come down to 28 from 46 in a House of 82.
Calling Mr Soren’s action of voting with the government in the Lok Sabha an “act of betrayal,” the BJP decided at a meeting of its parliamentary board chaired by Mr Gadkari to withdraw support to the Soren government.
The party asked its state unit chief and deputy chief minister Raghuvar Das to meet governor M.O.H. Farookh to convey the party’s decision. In the 82-member Assembly, the BJP and JMM have 18 seats each, the Congress 14, RJD five, JVM 11, ASJU five, JD(U) two, CPI(M-L) one, and Others and Independents six. One member is nominated.
Ironically, Mr Soren, after voting against the BJP’s cut motion, went for his scheduled dinner with Mr Gadkari. Sources said Mr Gadkari was informed of the Jharkhand leader’s ditching the BJP in the course of the dinner. He then questioned Mr Soren about it, but got only “vague” replies, sources added.
After the party’s parliamentary board meeting, senior leader Ananth Kumar said: “He (Soren) has behaved in a very dubious manner, and voted with the government during the cut motion. The BJP has taken very serious note of this betrayal and dubious conduct.”
Bihar chief minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar welcomed the BJP’s decision to withdraw support.
The Congress remained noncommittal on the question of lending support with its ally JVM to Mr Soren in saving his government. “At this point in time, it is difficult to say what course the party will take in the state. It’s an evolving situation, anything can happen. But the Congress never takes any political decision in haste,” AICC spokesperson Manish Tiwari said. The Congress’ stand on the issue of lending support amply indicated that the state might be heading for another long spell of President’s Rule, with the Assembly remaining in the suspended animation.
Mr Tiwari, however, dropped hints that the party is not averse to forming an alternative government. “But it takes time to decide on such issues,” he added.
When specifically asked whether Mr Soren is still with the UPA, Mr Tiwari said: “The meaning that comes out of his step of opposing the cut motion is very clear.”
The JMM officially tried to placate the BJP by claiming that the JMM leader had voted in favour of the government by “mistake”, and the party was “not negotiating with the Congress for an alternative government. Sources, however, said the inability of the chief minister to find a safe Assembly seat to contest had led to his decision to vote against the BJP’s cut motion.
“Neither his son nor his daughter-in-law was willing to vacate an Assembly seat for him. Guruji was left with just two months to enter the Assembly. Since that was not happening, he tried to cozy up with the Congress to rehabilitate himself at the Centre, leaving the state for his son,” a senior JMM functionary said.
But in a last-ditch effort to salvage the government, Mr Soren’s son Hemant extended an olive branch to the BJP, as he said: “Shibu Soren is ready to resign if the BJP leadership thinks his voting against the cut motion has hurt it, and the BJP should review its decision to withdraw support to the Jharkhand government.”
He said the JMM “is also asking the BJP to initiate forming a government under another leader if it thinks Mr Soren has committed any mistake”. He also emphasised that his party is still with the NDA.
However, on the new offer made by Mr Soren’s son, there was no clear signal from the BJP, as sources in the party said “if at all any decision on this would be taken, it would be taken tomorrow”.

Age Correspondent