RANCHI, 16 September 2006 — Independent legislator Madhu Koda will be sworn in as the chief minister of Jharkhand state on Sept. 18 by Gov. Syed Sibtey Razi amid indications that the Congress party will support the new government from outside.
Koda, who had staked a claim to form a government Thursday was formally invited by Razi yesterday and asked him to prove his majority on the floor of the state assembly by Sept. 25.
A day after dislodging the Arjun Munda government, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in Jharkhand was gingerly negotiating the bumpy road to power with two Left legislators withholding support.
Koda was a minister in the Munda Cabinet and instrumental in toppling the 18-month National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.
On Thursday, Koda had furnished support letters of only 41 legislators to the governor — one less than the 42 needed to form a government in the 82-member house.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist (CPI-ML), which has one legislator, has put six conditions to supporting a UPA government — including cancellation of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) signed by the Munda government and a probe into corruption scams.
The other Left party holding out is the Forward Bloc, which also has one legislator, and will take a final decision on supporting Koda after the politburo meets today.
