NEW DELHI/RANCHI:  The four-month-old JMM-led government in Jharkand was reduced to a minority on Wednesday after alliance partner BJP withdrew support retaliating strongly to the Chief Minister, Mr Shibu Soren voting for the UPA in Lok Sabha.

The Congress, on the other hand, dropped enough hints that it is not averse to forming an alternative government in Jharkhand but preferred not to take any decision in haste.
Jharkhand appeared headed for another round of political uncertainty, as a stunned BJP wasted no time in pulling the rug under Mr Soren’s feet dubbing as betrayal his action to vote against the party’s cut motion on Tuesday. The 66-year-old JMM chief was also slammed by the BJP for his “dubious conduct”.
After withdrawal of support by the BJP which has 18 members, the strength of the ruling coalition has been reduced to 28 from 46 in a House of 82. The incumbent JMM-BJP coalition government is the seventh since the mineral-rich state was created in 2000. Mr Soren is a three-time chief minister.
Mr Sanjay Seth, spokesman of BJP’s Jharkhand unit, said his party will seek time for a meeting with the Governor, Mr M O H Farooq on Thursday to hand over letter of withdrawal of support.
A meeting of the BJP top brass, headed by the party chief, Mr Nitin Gadkari, decided to withdraw support immediately giving indications that the new experiment in Ranchi has floundered.
“The BJP parliamentary board has decided to withdraw support immediately to the Shibu Soren government. He (Mr Soren) has behaved in a very dubious manner and voted with the government during the cut motion. BJP has taken very serious note of this betrayal and dubious conduct,” senior BJP leader, Mr Ananth Kumar told reporters in Delhi.
In the 82-member Jharkhand Assembly, BJP and JMM have 18 seats each, Congress 14, RJD 5, JVM 11, ASJU 5, JD(U) 2, CPI(ML) 1 and others and independents six. One member is nominated.
Though Mr Soren became a chief minister, he has retained his Lok Sabha seat and has another two months time to get elected to the state assembly.
The Congress’s Jharkhand unit has left the final decision on its future strategy to the party high command, while ally Jharkhand Vikash Morcha (P) whose chief is former chief minister Mr Babulal Marandi has called a meeting of MLAs and central office bearers on Thursday to take stock of the emerging situation.  Minor alliance partners in the Jharkhand government were also closely ‘watching’ the developments.
While a Congress senior leader, who declined to be identified, told that all options on government formation were open before the party, the AICC spokesman, Mr Manish Tewari said “the situation in Jharkhand is an evolving one. We are keeping an eye on everything”.
“We do not take any political decision in a haste,” Mr Tewari told reporters.
Asked whether Mr Soren is with UPA, he said, “The meaning that comes out of his step of opposing the cut motion is very clear.”
Speaking separately, AICC in-charge for Jharkhand, Mr K Keshava Rao said, “There is nobody untouchable in politics.”
“Never averse to it. After all we contested the election there to form a government” was his refrain when asked if the Congress is not averse to forming a government in the state.