NEW DELHI, 15 September 2006 — Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda resigned yesterday, as he was unable to muster a majority in the 82-member state assembly after more than a week of political turmoil sparked by corruption claims.
His resignation paved the way for a United Progressive Alliance government to be led by his former colleague Madhu Koda.
Munda, from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), submitted his resignation to Governor Syed Sibte Razi in the state capital Ranchi. The resignation of four governing legislators robbed Munda of his majority in the assembly.
“The BJP-led coalition had got the mandate as the largest coalition during the last assembly elections but some of our colleagues have switched sides,” Munda told the house while announcing his decision to quit.
Four ministers resigned from Jharkhand Cabinet and withdrew support to Munda government on Sept. 5.
A triumphant UPA led by the Congress party met to choose a new chief minister. The consensus candidate was Koda, mines and parliamentary affairs minister in Munda’s government, who took the initiative to topple it. Congress President Sonia Gandhi gave her nod to the decision from New Delhi.
Koda, a former BJP member who contested as an independent in the 2005 elections after the party refused him a ticket, will be sworn in on Sunday.
“The priority of my government will be to give fear free administration to people and on developing the state,” he told reporters.
Till all the nitty-gritty is sorted out, Munda will continue in the saddle with the governor asking him to remain chief minister till alternative arrangements are made.
“I hope the new government will come up to the expectations of the people and meet their aspirations. It’s a number game and the numbers are right now with them (the UPA). We will play a constructive role in the opposition,” he said after submitting his resignation.
Munda enumerated the achievements of his government, asserting that his government had achieved many milestones in education, health and other sectors. He then candidly admitted: “It is true we don’t have the numbers to continue in government. I am going to resign after meeting the governor.”
The announcement led to jubilation in the opposition benches, with members standing up and showing the victory signs, while despondency was evident in the NDA as its legislators watched on silently.
Blaming Congress for having exercised “undemocratic” means to bring down the Munda government, BJP leader Rajnath Singh said: “Whenever the Congress is in power at the center, they adopt their old and undemocratic practice of not allowing non-Congress governments to function in the states.”
Welcoming fall of Munda government, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat said in Calcutta: “It is good that the government formed by defectors has gone.” The “real solution” to political instability is early assembly elections in Jharkhand, Karat said.
— With input from agencies
