New Delhi:
The latest controversy in the BJP, party spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy has criticised his party over its decision to back Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Shibu Soren as Jharkhand Chief Minister.
He said a JMM government in Jharkhand with the help of BJP will not be good for the party. The BJP should not do it because it does not have the mandate. Rudy said senior party leaders should ponder over it.
Reacting to Rudy's remarks, BJP's new president Nitin Gadkari said that Rudy has been misinterpreted. Defending his party's decision to support Soren, he said that some decisions are taken for the good of the state. (
Read: BJP, JMM confident of providing stable govt)
However, Rudy was quick to issue clarification saying that it was his personal opinion.
"At an ABVP conference in Kolkata on December 26 a reference was made to Jharkhand where an opinion was expressed that in absence of a full mandate, BJP should sit in the opposition. This was prior to any decision taken in Jharkhand by BJP," Rudy said here.
The Rajya Sabha MP maintained that at that juncture, the BJP Parliamentary Board in Delhi was exploring three options: staying out of government and sitting in the opposition, supporting the government from outside, and joining and being part of the government.
"The decision to opt out any one of them was left to the central leadership visiting Jharkhand and consultation with the state leadership," he said.
The senior leader said it was decided to form a government in Jharkhand with JMM and All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) after assessing the ground realities.
"Party has taken a stand and I am with the stand of the party," Rudy said. Earlier, opinion was divided on the issue of forming a government with JMM, with a camp led by former party chief Rajnath Singh supporting the idea. (With PTI inputs)