Ranchi:
The BJP is going all out to defend its move to join hands with Shibu Soren in Jharkhand.
After the fractured verdict in the state, Soren has been called upon by the Jharkhand Governor to head a government. Backing him is BJP, a party that was gunning for him on the issue of tainted ministers when he was a central minister during the UPA's first term.
Senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh defended the party's decision to back the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief as Chief Minister of Jharkhand saying the Congress was the one to defend him in the past. He said the attempt was to provide Jharkhand with a stable government. (Watch: BJP defends move to back Soren)
"Whatever we have done, we have done in the best interest of Jharkhand, we wanted to form a government here...It is not a question of going along with a tainted man, it is a question of a stable government in Jharkhand", Rajnath Singh said in Patna.
He said the "Congress should not talk about double standards, it is the Congress that defended him in the past.
Once sworn in, this would be the 65-year-old Soren's third term as chief minister.
Soren, who has 18 MLAs in the 81-member Assembly, claims to have the numbers. "We have met the Governor and staked claim. We will form the government," he said, adding that, "We have the support of 43 MLAs."
The BJP and allies have 20 MLAs and the All Jharkhand Students Union has joined the combine with its five MLAs. At 43, Soren would have two seats more than the halfway mark at 41.
While Soren has sought to assure the state saying "I want to tell the people of Jharkhand that I will be an effective chief minister."
Ever since the Jharkhand elections threw up a hung Assembly, the BJP and the Congress have been lobbying to form the government. The deal was finally struck with the BJP, which agreed to give the chief ministership to Soren.
However, it is still unclear if the BJP will be part of the government or support Soren from outside. The Congress admits it could not rustle up the numbers to form the government. But many say that's better than taking the support of smaller parties who would have then flexed their muscles.
After the fractured verdict in the state, Soren has been called upon by the Jharkhand Governor to head a government. Backing him is BJP, a party that was gunning for him on the issue of tainted ministers when he was a central minister during the UPA's first term.
Senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh defended the party's decision to back the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief as Chief Minister of Jharkhand saying the Congress was the one to defend him in the past. He said the attempt was to provide Jharkhand with a stable government. (Watch: BJP defends move to back Soren)
"Whatever we have done, we have done in the best interest of Jharkhand, we wanted to form a government here...It is not a question of going along with a tainted man, it is a question of a stable government in Jharkhand", Rajnath Singh said in Patna.
He said the "Congress should not talk about double standards, it is the Congress that defended him in the past.
Once sworn in, this would be the 65-year-old Soren's third term as chief minister.
Soren, who has 18 MLAs in the 81-member Assembly, claims to have the numbers. "We have met the Governor and staked claim. We will form the government," he said, adding that, "We have the support of 43 MLAs."
The BJP and allies have 20 MLAs and the All Jharkhand Students Union has joined the combine with its five MLAs. At 43, Soren would have two seats more than the halfway mark at 41.
While Soren has sought to assure the state saying "I want to tell the people of Jharkhand that I will be an effective chief minister."
Ever since the Jharkhand elections threw up a hung Assembly, the BJP and the Congress have been lobbying to form the government. The deal was finally struck with the BJP, which agreed to give the chief ministership to Soren.
However, it is still unclear if the BJP will be part of the government or support Soren from outside. The Congress admits it could not rustle up the numbers to form the government. But many say that's better than taking the support of smaller parties who would have then flexed their muscles.
