Date:14/09/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/09/14/stories/2006091406511300.htm

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National

Madhu Koda leads the race in Jharkhand

Special Correspondent

Opposition confident it has the numbers to unseat the Arjun Munda Government

Opposition claims support of 43 MLAs
More legislators likely to join us: Lalu Prasad

No role to play in the developments: Congress

PHOTO: PTI

SEEKING CHANGE: Jharkhand MLAs Enos Ekka, Kamlesh Singh, Madhu Koda and Harinarayan Rai return from New Delhi to Ranchi on Wednesday.

NEW DELHI: A day ahead of the trial of strength in the Jharkhand Assembly, the Opposition claimed to have the numbers to unseat the Arjun Munda Government.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad on Wednesday hosted a breakfast for 37 Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, RJD, Congress and Independent legislators. He claimed that the number of legislators opposed to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition Government would increase by six more.

Closed-door meetings

Having moved the Opposition legislators from Ranchi in the past few days, Mr. Prasad appeared to be in the forefront of the bid to topple the Government. For the last two days, most Opposition MLAs were taken around discreetly for closed-door meetings and strategy sessions here.

There were indications that Independent MLA Madhu Koda could be given the post of Chief Minister. To a question, Mr. Pradad evaded a direct reply but dropped enough hints suggesting that Mr. Koda had his blessings.

In the initial rounds of talks, JMM chief and Union Minister Shibu Soren was said to be keen on taking up the job once again.

The Opposition now claims the support of 43 MLAs in the 82-member House. Of this, 17 belong to the JMM, nine to the Congress, and seven to the RJD, while four are Independents.

"Internal bickering"

Meanwhile, the Congress maintained that it had no role in the turbulence being faced by the Munda Government.

Party spokesperson Satyavarat Chaturvedi said, "What happened in Jharkhand was a result of internal bickering [in the coalition]." The BJP should recall that when the National Democratic Alliance Government was in power at the Centre, it had tried to destabilise the Bihar Government and also encouraged mass defections in Uttar Pradesh.