No assurance to JMM over next government: Congress

Ranchi, March 21 (IANS) The Congress Saturday denied that it had promised Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Shibu Soren that his party will be allowed to take power in Jharkhand after the Lok Sabha election.

'As of now, no assurance has been given to Shibu Soren to form the next government in Jharkhand,' Congress leader Kesav Rao, in charge of the state, told IANS over telephone from New Delhi.

'How can we give such an assurance when the model code of conduct is in force and the process of Lok Sabha elections has been initiated?'

But the JMM maintains that the Congress had given its pledge that the JMM would be allowed to form a government in the state if the Congress-led coalition won the April-May Lok Sabha elections.

Supriyo Bhattcharya, general secretary of JMM, told IANS: 'The Congress has (given that promise). This is the reason Shibu Soren is fighting the Jamtara assembly byelection.'

Jharkhand is under President's rule since Jan 19. The state assembly has been kept under suspension.

Shibu Soren resigned as chief minister after losing a key assembly by-election Jan 8. President's rule was imposed after no political formation came forward to form an alternative government.