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What's new? They've been playing this game effectively in Goa and the rest of the country for quite some time now... FN BJP looks to split RJD to save Jharkhand government >From Indo-Asian News Service Ranchi, Feb 25 (IANS) As five rebel ministers turn the screws on Chief Minister Babulal Marandi, his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is working overtime to split an opposition group to save the coalition government. Marandi is focusing all his energies on trying to lure away three legislators of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Party sources said if Marandi succeeded in his mission to engineer defections from the RJD, his government would not be reduced to a minority even if the five rebel ministers from the Samata Party and Janata Dal-United (JD-U) walked out. At present Marandi's BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government enjoys the support of 44 legislators in the 81-member house. If the rebels walk out, the NDA would be reduced to a minority of 39. But the RJD defections would again bring it back to a slim majority of 42. Political analysts said the deferment of the Poreyahat assembly by-election scheduled Wednesday because of a police strike had come as a reprieve for Marandi because the BJP looked headed for defeat. A defeat in the by-poll would have added to pressure on Marandi from allies and from within his own party. Already there are two rival factions active in the state BJP, one headed by Welfare Minister Arjun Munda and the other by federal Coal Minister Karia Munda. Meanwhile, the rebel ministers of the Samata Party have threatened to demand separate seating in the assembly if the crisis is not resolved. The four Samata ministers and one of the JD-U have sought Marandi's resignation by the end of this month for ostensibly failing to root out corruption. "If the present crisis deepens, we will demand separate seats in the assembly from Speaker Inder Singh Namdhari," Bachha Singh, one of the rebel Samata ministers, told IANS. "We are accountable to the people of the state. What we will answer them in the assembly elections in 2005? Development is not taking place and has been confused with the reservation and domicile issues," he added. Singh was the most vocal opponent of a policy to make only those whose ancestors' names figured in the region's land records of the early 20th century eligible for government jobs. Violent protests over the policy last year made the government tone it down to say domiciles would get preference. But a court rejected even this moderated domicile policy. The only Samata Party minister in Jharkhand who has not rebelled is Ram Chandra Kesari, a close associate of the chief minister. The Samata Party top brass has failed to end the rebellion in Jharkhand, with the state ministers saying preserving the NDA in power at the centre was not their job. Party sources said the rebel ministers might even form a separate group if the central leaders try to impose their will. They admitted that the rebels had the support of Railway Minister Nitish Kumar, who has developed differences with party chief and Defence Minister George Fernandes over Bihar politics. --Indo-Asian News Service _______________________________________________ Goanet mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.goanet.org/mailman/listinfo/goanet
