Jharkhand ends up with another hung assembly

New Delhi: Two fallen-from-grace ex-allies of India's ruling Congress party hold the key to the formation of the new government as Jharkhand elected yet another hung assembly on Wednesday.

No government can be formed unless the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) lend their crucial support, since the two major alliances headed respectively by the Congress and its arch-rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fell well short of the majority.

Indications that Jharkhand voters had ignored all calls for stability in the state which has been in political turmoil since its formation nine years ago vanished as the process of counting of votes for all 81 seats at stake started.

While the Congress and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha together ended up winning 25 seats by bagging 14 and 11 seats respectively, the BJP and Janata Dal (United) combined won 20 with BJP emerging as the single largest party by winning 18 seats.

The JMM and RJD, which have won 18 and five seats respectively, thus hold he key to the formation of the next government. RJD may never join hands with the BJP given its president Lalu Prasad Yadav's known scorn for the BJP, JMM chief Shibu Soren ready to do business with either of the two groups, but at his won terms and condition.

JMM has officially stated that it will join any post-poll alliance only if Soren is appointed as the new chief minister, while RJD may push for Lalu's inclusion as a federal minister and assurance that the Congress party would contest next year's assembly elections in neighbouring Bihar as its junior ally.

Congress tally

The Congress party improved its tally to 14 from nine seats it had won in February 2005 Jharkhand elections, while BJP and its ally JD (U) lost heavily. BJP could manage just 18 seats as against 30 it had won in 2005. JD (U) could win just two seats as against six in the previous election.

JMM improved its tally from 17 to 18 while RJD despite winning just five seats as against seven in 2003 has reasons to feel happy since it was written off completely after its poor performance in the last general elections.

Realising the gravity of the situation, the Congress party lost no time in stating that RJD continues to be part of the Untied Progressive Alliance (UPA) which rules at the centre, although the Congress had distanced itself from RJD before Lok Sabha elections, it dumped Soren's JMM after Lok Sabha elections, ignoring Soren's claim to be inducted as a federal minister.

Forecast: lkely scenario

JMM and RJD lend their support to the Congress-JVM. Their combined tally would be 48.

JMM joins hands with BJP-JD (U). Their combined tally would be 38. They would thus need support of at least three more lawmakers to form the majority.

Congress may have to accept JMM president Shibu Soren as Jharkhand chief minister. JVM may support it from outside.

Congress may offer to make Soren's son Hemant Soren the deputy chief minister with JVM chief Babulal Marandi as the chief minister, make Soren a federal minister by offering him his favourite Coal and Mines ministry.