Ranchi, Jan 7 (IANS) Terming the Shibu Soren government a combination of “Rama” and “Ravana”, a Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajanatrantrik (JVM-P) legislator Thursday said the alliance of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was “political opportunism”.
“What kind of combination is the Shibu Soren government? The BJP, which is supporting him, believes in Rama and Shibu Soren himself said that his ancestors were associated with Ravana. This government is an example of political opportunism,” JVM-P legislator Pradeep Yadav said during the debate on the trust motion moved by Soren government.

In 2008, Soren had refused to burn the effigy of Ravana on Dussehra, saying his ancestors were associated with Ravana.

“It was the same BJP which stalled parliament over Shibu Soren and its leaders said that the JMM was part of Madhu Koda money laundering scam,” Yadav said.

He claimed the JMM has a tacit understanding with the Maoists as it had fielded some Maoist leaders in the election. “Soren should clarify whether or not his government will launch the central government’s proposed ‘Green Hunt’ operation against Maoists,” he demanded.

Taking part in the debate, Congress legislator Rajendra Singh appealed to Soren to stick to his stand of bringing the headquarters of Coal India Limited (CIL) to Ranchi. “Soren should intervene in the matter and do whatever needed to bring the headquarters of CIL from Kolkata to Ranchi.”

The trust vote was moved by Deputy Chief Minister Raghubar Das as Soren continues to be a Lok Sabha member. He has six months within which to get elected to the assembly.

Soren, who became Jharkhand’s seventh chief minister Dec 30, was asked by Governor K. Sankaranarayanan to prove his government’s majority on the floor of the house by Jan 8.

The special assembly session began Jan 4 and the speaker’s election took place Wednesday. Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) C.P. Singh was unanimously elected speaker.

Soren formed the government with the support of the BJP, the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) and the Janata Dal-United (JD-U). While the BJP and the JMM have 18 legislators each, the AJSU has five members and the JD-U two — totalling 43 in the 81-member assembly.

Three Independents have also extended support to Soren, taking the tally to 46.