Ranchi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) have finalised the deal on government formation in Jharkhand.
Both parties have decided to lead the government in the state for 28-month periods, starting with BJP.
"We have decided that BJP and JMM will share the power for 28 months each with the BJP taking over in the first phase," Chief Minister Shibu Soren and BJP's chief ministerial candidate Arjun Munda told a joint press conference in Ranchi.
On May 25, JMM chief Shibu Soren will step down and BJP general secretary Arjun Munda will take over as the new Chief Minister.
The decision comes after Munda met Soren in Ranchi on Sunday night to convey to him his party's formula of a coalition government.
Soren wanted BJP to lead the government for 28 months and then support a JMM Chief Minister for the remaining 28 months of the state Assembly. The BJP had earlier rejected this. (Read:New government will be on rotational basis: Shibu Soren)
Ties between BJP and JMM had come under strain when Jharkhand Shibu Soren voted against BJP sponsored cut motions on April 27. BJP parliamentary Board had decided to withdraw support to Soren government but put it on hold when his son Hemant wrote a letter proposing a BJP-led government. (Read: BJP dumps Shibu Soren, gets apology from son)
Arjun Munda's profile
Arjun Munda is currently Lok Sabha MP from Jamshedpur in Jharkhand. He won the seat on BJP ticket.
A former Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Munda came into prominence when he replaced the then Chief Minister Babulal Marandi in 2006. Though, he could not complete his term and had to resign in 2008.
Munda was first elected as MLA in 1995 for Bihar Vidhan Sabha. He went on to win two consecutive MLA elections for Jharkhand Assembly after the new state was carved out of Bihar in 2000.
In 2000, he was sworn in as Welfare Minister in Jharkhand government. But soon, he emerged as a leading critic of Babulal Marandi. In 2006, he led dissidents against the Marandi government. As a result the BJP central leadership was forced to back him as Chief Minister.
Munda has established himself as one of the tallest tribal leaders in Jharkhand. (With inputs from PTI)