New Delhi: After the insult, an apology. Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren has written to BJP president Nitin Gadkari apologizing to him and to senior leaders in the Lok Sabha, LK Advani and Sushma Swaraj, for voting against the party's Cut Motion and in favour of the UPA earlier this week.
Soren's apology comes after his son, Hemant's all-out efforts to convince the BJP not to withdraw support to the Jharkhand government. A panicky Soren Junior suggested on Wednesday that the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha could give up the Chief Minister's post in the state if the BJP would reconsider its decision to withdraw support.
Top BJP leaders met today to discuss the offer, but seemed to be in no hurry to say yes. Party leaders say the proposal is not even a concrete one. Soren's apology though is likely to add weight to the offer.
The BJP skipped its 11 am appointment with the Jharkhand Governor to formally withdraw support, and later in the evening cancelled the 7 pm appointment to discuss Soren's offer as well.
The shadow of President's Rule looms large over the state, which has had no political stability for the last decade.
The BJP pulled the rug on Wednesday, shocked at Shibu Soren's vote against its Cut Motion and in favour of the UPA in the majority test. (
Read: Cut motion: BJP fumes over Soren betrayal)
After the voting in Parliament, Soren said, "We just voted... we had to vote for someone... so we voted for the Congress." (
Watch: Soren on why he voted for UPA)
The BJP's top leaders then met and the faction opposed to an alliance with Soren for his unpredictability and criminal record had its way. The party announced it was withdrawing support to the JMM government, reducing it to a minority. (
Read: BJP withdraws support to Shibu Soren govt in Jharkhand)
But given Shibu Soren's political track record, the BJP should have known this was coming.
Since 1993, Shibu Soren has displayed an unwillingness to remain in Opposition. To be in power, he has changed loyalties on the floor of the House and changed allies.
So, did the Congress have a hand in Soren's startling U-turn? It has denied this and has ruled out supporting Soren, given his soft approach to Naxals.
Sources in JMM say Soren's flip-flop is really about palace intrigue. Shibu's son Hemant Soren was desperate to be the Chief Minister. To remain in the CM's chair, Soren had to get elected to the state Assembly by June 12. But his MLAs, including his son and daughter-in-law refused to step down to make way for him. Upset, Soren punished them.
But, with the Congress ruling out a tie-up with the JMM in the state just yet, Hemant Soren went running to the BJP and apologised, claiming his father is ready to resign for a new leader. "We would request them to rethink on withdrawing the support," Hemant said on Wednesday. His father's apology has followed less than a day later. (
Read: BJP dumps Shibu Soren, gets apology from son)
The UPA, meanwhile, is watching the split closely. If the Soren government falls, the Congress has a good chance of installing a chief minister with these numbers:
Congress + Babulal Marandi's Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) + Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) together have 31 seats, while Teklal Mahato's breakaway JMM faction has 10. Also, small groups like All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) have eight seats, which takes the potential total to 49. The half-way mark in the 82-member Assembly is 41.
"If the getting together of secular forces permits, all reasonable, valid and legal options can be explored," Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said.