Much the JMM is doing these days defies logic. One is its decision to wait for another 35 days to bring the Congress on board to form an alternative Government.
Another is its justification — that the last Government had been formed after 110 days of the President’s Rule in 2010, whereas the State has faced just 70 days of the Central rule so far.
After all, the political scenario is quite different now. In 2010, the BJP-AJSU had not knocked on the Governor’s door to dissolve the House. JVM was the only party which had sought fresh mandate.
At present, all three major parties — barring JMM and the Congress, which otherwise is said to be ruling the State by proxy — have asked the Governor to pave way for a fresh mandate.
JMM insiders said the party’s public face apart, it was really in a catch-22 situation over dissolution of the House even after the Congress leadership was yet to give any positive signal to form the Government.
Now, after toppling the Arjun Munda-led Government without showing the least political pragmatism, the JMM is sure to be blamed for creating political instability.
“So, the party wants to exhaust all options to form the Government before seeking dissolution of the House in order to deflect the blame when it faces the electorate,” pointed out a senior JMM leader.
“The ball will now be in the Congress’ court if the Government is not formed,” he added.
“We have given a long time, over one month, to the Congress to form Government. If it does not come on board, the party will certainly take a decision to march to Raj Bhavan after the Central Working Committee meeting on May 6-7,” the leader pointed out.
There is yet another problem for the party. “No MlA from any party, leave alone the JMM, is ready to face the electorate at this time. So, any move to jolt the hopes of our legislators might boomerang,” the leader said.
“The Raj Bhavan’s decision to release the fund under MlA area development fund till the period when the House was suspended has made the situation worse. We fear that legislators may turn rebels if we go for dissolution of the House,” he added.
Yet another JMM leader pointed out that MlAs from Kolhan are more upset as money power plays a big role in their constituencies and funds can flow only when they are in power. “They do not need as much of Guruji’s support to fight the elections as their counterparts in Santhal Pargana would require,” he added.
However, a JMM core committee member expected that the Congress would take a decision by April 22, when Parliament reassembles for the Budget Session. “If they want to hold elections in June, they will go for dissolution of the House before April 22 and get it ratified by both Houses. If not, they will explore the possibility of forming Government,” he explained.
The JMM man asserted that the Congress will ultimate come on board if it wants to face lok Sabha elections. “The Congress is in complete disarray in Jharkhand and also facing leadership crisis. It will need a partner to give a fight to the BJP and AJSU and also to keep the minority vote intact and net tribal votes in Santhal Pargana,” he added.
Another JMM core committee member, Binod Pandey, said the BJP has no moral right to seek dissolution of the House when its MPs remain absent during the voting on the presidential proclamation and do not oppose President’s Rule vociferously in Parliament. “Why should the BJP demand dissolution of the House when its MPs push the Centre’s agenda in Jharkhand in a meeting with the GovernorIJ” he asked.
JVM chief Babulal Marandi echoed the views. “Both BJP as well as Congress are eying elections in October-November as they have no issue to face the electorate. So, they are buying time to consolidate their position,” he claimed.