Ranchi, Jan 11 (IANS) Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren Sunday said he would resign Monday as his allies in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) served an ultimatum in the wake of his defeat in an election he needed to win.
Soren told reporters here he would resign Monday. 'We stand by our position to get our party legislator anointed as next chief minister,' said the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief.
Soren, who became chief minister in August 2008, needed to be elected to the state assembly by Feb 27 under the constitutional requirement but he lost the Tamar by-election last week.
In New Delhi, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad told reporters: 'Soren is delaying his resignation.' He also threatened to withdraw support to the JMM-led UPA government in Jharkhand if Soren did not quit.
The JMM's allies in the UPA held a meeting here Sunday to discuss the political situation in the state. The meeting was attended by a group of Independent legislators who are ministers and RJD leaders, who asked Soren to resign immediately.
Two Independent legislators and ministers, Stephen Marandi and Bhanu Pratap Sahi, said they would resign Monday if Soren did not step down from chief minister's post.
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