Hemant Soren’s Delhi trip fuels JMM-BJP alliance buzz. Is Congress heading for a split in Jharkhand?

Jharkhand Chief Minister and JMM leader Hemant Soren’s sudden visit to Delhi has set tongues wagging in the political circles and sparked speculations of a political realignment in the state.

Reports claimed that Soren and his wife, MLA Kalpana Soren, are in talks with the BJP leadership to join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and form a fresh government in the state with the saffron party’s support.

The rumours came in light of JMM’s rising bitterness with the INDIA bloc allies, especially since the run-up to the Bihar Assembly elections last month.

Soren wanted his party to contest in Bihar assembly elections, especially in the tribal-dominated seats. But as the seat-sharing talks with the Congress and the RJD failed to make any breakthrough, the party opted out of the polls.

Also, according to reports, there was discontent among a section of JMM leaders over the party’s decision to contest fewer seats than it intended in both the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections last year.

In the assembly elections, the JMM contested 43 of the state’s 81 seats and allotted 30 to Congress, seven to RJD and four to the Left parties. The JMM won 34, Congress 16, RJD four, and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist)-Liberation two.

The NDA has 24 seats in the state, with the BJP having a principal share of 21.

Meanwhile, speculation is rife that the Congress is likely to witness a split in the event of a political realignment in the state. According to a Sunday Guardian report, at least eight MLAs may switch sides and join the new political setup.

In case of a Congress split, at least 11 MLAs will have to break out to avoid disqualification under the anti-defection law. However, the report noted that the final decision on when to take a call on disqualification rests with the Speaker of the Assembly, which in this case is JMM’s Rabindra Nath Mahto.

Though AICC Jharkhand in-charge K. Raju and MLA Kumar Jai Mangal denied reports of a possible split in the Congress, sources close to the eight ‘rebel’ MLAs confirmed that they were in touch with the BJP and the JMM, according to the newspaper report.

Meanwhile, some observers believe that the ongoing ED investigation against Soren could also have prompted the JMM leader to join hands with the BJP. Soren’s problems are compounded by a new bill introduced in Parliament in August, where a Prime Minister or Chief Minister has to resign by the 31st day if arrested or automatically cease to hold office. The Bill has been referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee.