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The political crisis in Jharkhand continues with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) core committee failing on Saturday to take a decision on government formation in the state. On Friday, the BJP leadership reviewed Jharkhand developments and considered the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's (JMM) offer of leading the JMM-BJP coalition in the State. Three rounds of meetings were held over a six-hour period. The BJP has, so far, maintained that its chief minister would lead the state for the next four-and-a-half years, while the JMM has been insisting on a rotational arrangement, with each chief minister (BJP's and then JMM's) getting 28 months each. BJP vice president Prakash Javdekar said there was no urgency to take a decision. He said there is a functioning government in Jharkhand and the party would come out with its decision under its own time frame. Meanwhile, the Congress has hinted that it might demand imposition of President's Rule if the stalemate continues. Party spokesman Shakil Ahmed said the Congress has not staked a claim to form a government in the state. The JMM-BJP coalition government plunged into crisis after the BJP withdrew support to Chief Minister Shibu Soren's government after he voted in favour of the UPA during a cut motion in Parliament on April 27. However, by April 29 the party received a letter from Hemant Soren, the son of the chief minister, offering support to the BJP in leading the coalition.

Jharkhand impasse: BJP fails to take final call