Shibu Soren Eyes Jharkhand Post While Murder Case is Pending

By Yatindra Bhatnagar

Politics often brings strange bedfellows and together they create a situation that is appalling, dirty and makes already unclean politics murkier. Jharkhand state of India is a prime example. There have been frequent defections, corruption scandals and other unlawful activities including violent acts and even murder involving top politicians and the Chief Minister.

The recent elections did not result in a clear mandate – neither the Bharatiya Janata Party nor the Congress got a majority. The party with a permanent claim to power led by the notoriously scandal-ridden Shibu Soren, perennial leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), is again eyeing for the Chief Minister’s post.

Initially, neither the Congress nor the BJP wanted him as the CM and hesitated to support him. But politics is a strange animal, it can be tamed anyway you like and it has emerged that the BJP will support a Shibu Soren-led government keeping Congress and Lalu Prasad’s RJD out of power.
As the results of the recent polls made it clear that no party got a majority, Shibu Soren (with his king-making ability) let all the others know that he would ally with the party that will agree to make him the CM. Now it looks certain that he has the support of BJP and All Jharkhand Students Union to form a government.

The 65-year-old Soren has a confirmed list of 42 MLAs in a House of 81 members. He has his own 18 and another 18 from the BJP, five from AJSU and one from Jharkhand Janadhikar Manch. He has twice been the CM of the state. The uncertain politics of the state is reflected in the fact that this would be the seventh government in nine years of the existence of Jharkhand as a new state carved out of Bihar.

Shibu Soren has a controversial past including a murder case in which he was acquitted by the Delhi High Court but an appeal is pending with the Supreme Court of India. In that case Soren has been accused of conspiring to kill his own ex-secretary Shashi Nath Jha, in New Delhi a few years back.

In a new development, as Soren hopes to become the CM again, the family of Jha has said that he should not be made the Chief Minister till the outcome of the appeal against his acquittal.

Jha’s daughter Preeti and brother Vijay Nath Jha have also appealed to the Prime Minister to expedite the hearing of the appeal that is slated by the highest court for March 8, next year. They said that they need the Prime Minister’s help in their fight to get justice as they are also facing several threats.

The family has also appealed to political parties, including the BJP, not to support Soren to become Chief Minister. The delay in justice has enabled Shibu Soren to again claim the top post.

Unmindful of that petition, Soren has staked his claim and with the claimed support of 42 MLAs has met the Governor. He may be called upon to form a government in a day or so. The BJP has not yet made up their mind to join the government under Soren; it’s only support from outside. However, it may not be long before they decide to share power by joining the Soren cabinet.

This is the strange politics of India and the sheer thirst for power!