In November 2000, three new states were formed:Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand. While two of them have achievedvarying degrees of progress, the third has seen more of musical chairs thangovernance. The eighth government of Jharkhand in a span of 12 years (not tomention two stints of the president’s rule, this one headed by Arjun Munda ofthe Bharatiya Janata Party), is on the way out after Jharkhand Mukti Morcha(JMM) withdrew support.
The protagonist of the latest drama is the same man who hasplayed the central lead in any number of musical chair programmes played out inthe State: Shibu Soren, the man in several union cabinets, and out of as manycabinets. Either on corruption charges or after withdrawing support to theparty in power. This time, Soren, once held to be the king of areas in Biharthat now constitute Jharkhand, wants his son on the throne.
The reason for separation was a misunderstanding overrotating the chair: JMM maintains thatwhen the two sides came together, there was an understanding that 28 monthslater, that is, by January 10, it will have the chief minister’s post. But theBJP says there was no such agreement.
It was in a telephonic conversation that JMM reminded BJP ofthe deadline but Munda replied in writing on January 3 that there was no sucharrangement.
As Shibu Soren’s son, JMM leader Hemant Soren, pulled theplug on January 8, Munda too played his move, recommending president’s rule toprevent any “horse trading-like situation”. In other words, to ensure no otherformation replaces him immediately. He said the decision was taken as nonational party had openly come forward to provide an alternative governmentafter JMM’s announcement to withdraw support.
No wonder. Bitten on numerous occasions by Shibu Soren andunderstandably shy, the Congress is on the wait-and-watch mode for now. WhileJMM general secretary Shashank Sekhar Bhokta assures the nation that HemantSoren and his men are confabulating in Delhi, and that state Congress leadershave given “indication” about the party’s inclination to tango with JMM, hecannot take the party for granted.
What the latest round of farce in Ranchi, the state capital,has done is show the mess that smaller regional parties with no ideology cantrigger. While the Congress would, in all likelihood, eventually go with Sorenand his soaring ambition, by striking a deal with JMM to extract its pound offlesh in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, and equally the BJP would do the samewhen opportunity comes knocking at its doors the next time around, bothnational parties are treading on a minefield. Such opportunism, the big partiesshould understand, would help neither them reap political benefits in the longrun nor endear them to the people.
And both parties should look at JMM’s own failure to growmuch beyond being a biggish marginal player even in Jharkhand to realise thatpeople do not get tickled by opportunism beyond a point.
People of this predominantly tribal state had hopes ofbuilding a new future for themselves when the state was formed afterbifurcating Bihar. Rich in minerals and other natural resources, the state hashowever fallen prey to misgovernance thanks to political uncertainties: out ofthe eight governments so far, the longest serving one survived for two and ahalf years and the shortest for 11 days.
