Clearing decks for formation of the BJP-JMM government in Jharkhand, the Union Cabinet on Thursday recommended revocation of President's rule in the state. "The Cabinet has made appropriate recommendation to the President based on Governor's recommendation. You will have to wait for the President's decision," the home minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, said after a meeting of the Union Cabinet here, which took up the issue. The Governor had sent his report to the Centre on September 7 after newly-elected BJP legislative party, Mr Arjun Munda, staked claim to form the government, submitting a list of 45 MLAs in the 81-member house and parading 44 of them at the Raj Bhavan. President's Rule was imposed in Jharkhand on June 1 with the Assembly being put under suspended animation after BJP withdrew support to the Shibu Soren-led government after the latter voted with the UPA during cut motions in Parliament and no party came forward to form an alternative government. The two parties are coming together after a gap of three months.
In the list submitted to the Jharkhand Governor, there are 18 MLAs each of BJP and JMM, two from JDU, five from AJSU and two Independent MLAs — Chamra Linda and Bidesh Singh. Congress, which has 14 MLAs and its ally JVMP 11, has not shown interest in forming government in the state owing to "trust deficit" with JMM. Senior Congress leaders, on condition of anonymity, said the party realises that its mandate is to sit in the opposition there and it will continue to do so instead of "muddying" the political waters there. In the event of Munda being invited to form the government, it will be the eighth government after Jharkhand was carved out from Bihar on November 15, 2000. It would be Munda's third term.
Mr Babulal Marandi was the first chief minister before Munda took over from him. In between Mr Madhu Koda held the post once and Mr Soren thrice.