Jharkhand is all set to get a new government sooner than later. Several Congress leaders from the State are camping in Delhi and have handed over the draft agreement reached with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) to Sonia Gandhi for approval. They are also said to have reached out to RJD chief lalu Prasad and are understood to have taken him on board.
Sources in Delhi confirmed to The Pioneer that Congress legislative Party leader Rajendra Singh, State party president Sukhdeo Bhagat along with JMM leader Hemant Soren and Champai Soren held a couple of meetings with in-charge of Cong affairs in Jharkhand, BK Hariprasad and Shakil Ahmed late on Tuesday and Wednesday morning.
"Everything has been finalised. We have put everything before the in-charge who will be taking up the matter with Soniaji. At present there is no plan to meet the Congress president. Why should we meet herIJ" asked Rajendra Singh while contradicting some media reports suggesting their meeting with the Congress president.
The consultations have thrown up a 'common minimum programme' for both the parties to be followed while in office and seat-sharing formula for lok Sabha and Assembly seats are being discussed. This apart, issues of ministerial berths and the roles to be given to Independents to keep them engaged, have also come to the fore.
Echoing him, Sukhdeo Bhagat said the process was taking shape gradually. "The message has been conveyed to the central leadership. Coalition issues and terms and conditions involved were discussed. We are going step-by-step. We are not in a hurry," said Bhagat.
Following the consultations, it is expected that Sonia Gandhi's response may come by Thursday and if everything goes well a press conference would be organised by evening in Delhi to inform the media about the shape and size of the new coalition.
Talking about other partners in the alliance that requires at least 41 MlAs in the House of 81, Rajendra Singh said he had consulted RJD chief lalu Prasad and the later had given his consent to become a part of it. "I have talked to lalu and he agreed to give support of his five MlAs to us. Sufficient number of Independents are also willing to support the cause."
The coalition, like the erstwhile BJP-JMM-AJSU-JD (U) alliance, would have a State Coordination Committee or Steering Committee in place with JMM patriarch Shibu Soren as its head.
Post of the Assembly Speaker is most likely to go to Haji Hussain Ansari of JMM or Sarfaraz Ahmed of the Congress.