The Hindu Business Line : Jharkhand and Bihar: Post-poll political brinkmanship

WHILE the Election Commission can claim with justifiable pride that this has been the fairest election ever in Bihar, and hence a triumph for democracy, post-election develop- ments, particularly in the tribal State of Jharkhand have dealt a body blow to the very fabric of democratic India.

The manner in which the Jharkhand Governor, Syed Sibte Razi, hurriedly swore in the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief, Shibu Soren, as Chief Minister and gave him time till March 21 to prove his majority on the floor of the House certainly has raised eyebrows.

Though the election had resulted in a hung House, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, with 36 seats, was clearly ahead. The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance did not fight the elections together as a miffed RJD chief, Mr Lalu Prasad, had contested separately with the Left and other allies. Post-results, the UPA appears to have come together to claim it won 33 seats.

Immediately after the results, the NDA had submitted to the Governor the names of the 41 MLAs required to form a Government, and also paraded before him these members at the Raj Bhavan in Ranchi. Yet, Mr Razi invited Mr Soren, and the UPA, to form the government in the interest of "stability". How a group with lower numbers can provide a "more stable" government beats comprehension.

Though the difference between the two groups may be but a paltry three seats, democratic and Constitutional norms demand that the larger group be given the first shot at government formation.

As if to add insult to injury, the newly sworn in Chief Minister, Mr Shibu Soren, told journalists on Thursday: "I'm wearing a crown of thorns, but I have no choice as this crown has been given to me by the people of Jharkhand." The same people who are so fed up of dynasty politics that they threw out both his sons!

Coming to Bihar, there are now reports that following the swearing-in of Mr Soren in Ranchi, an emboldened Mr Lalu Prasad is stepping up pressure on the UPA leadership in Delhi to pave the way for Mrs Rabri Devi to be given a chance at government formation.

The Congress(I), which did not contest the election in alliance with the RJD, has promised to support an RJD-led government in Bihar. Here too, it is a neck-and-neck race between the RJD and its allies, and the NDA; the situation is so fluid that the numbers seem to swing this way and that.

Nobody is quite sure who is supporting whom, particularly when it comes to the Independents. Most of these candidates are really rebels from both the camps who contested against their parent organisations as they were denied ticket.

If Mrs Rabri Devi can be invited to form the government, then by all accounts, and legitimately too, the NDA too can argue that it should be given a chance at government formation.

As they say jiski lathi, usiki bhains (whoever has the stick, gets the buffalo). With so many Independents in the market, the group that gets the first chance to prove its majority on the floor of the House has that much more chance of buying its way to power.

If the situation in Bihar is different from that in Jharkhand it is because Mr Ram Vilas Paswan's 28 MLAs belonging to the Lok Janshakti Party constitute a solid block, giving him the status of a kingmaker.

The letter he sent to the Bihar Governor, Mr Buta Singh, stating explicitly that he would support neither the NDA nor the RJD, leaves the Governor with little space to manoeuvre.

In this entire unseemly episode, what has suffered the most is the image of the Governor's office, what with its increasing politicisation. Naturally, the BJP is crying foul in Jharkhand and making enough noise to ensure that there is no encore in Bihar.

Meanwhile, the President, Mr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, has summoned Mr Razi to Delhi for a "discussion". There is also speculation that Mr Soren may be asked to prove his government's majority within 72 hours.

The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, is said to be most unhappy at these developments, especially as the BJP continues to stall Parliamentary proceedings and the political developments have overshadowed a Budget that has been given the thumbs-up by almost all sections.

In New Delhi, the political circus is in full swing; the NDA flew in to Delhi the 41 Jharkhand MLAs whose support it claims to have, including the crucial five Independents, to Delhi to parade them before the President.

BJP leaders have complained that the police had prevented the legislators from flying out of Ranchi, first, and then Kolkata.

The BJP Parliamentary Party spokesman, Mr V. K. Malhotra, told reporters, dramatically but rather inaccurately: "Attempts were also made to arrest the MLAs in West Bengal; such incidents have not occurred, even during Hitler's regime."

The BJP President, Mr L. K. Advani, went as far as to say that more than the Jharkhand Governor, he would hold responsible the Prime Minister and the Congress(I) President, Ms Sonia Gandhi, for Mr Razi's moves. From the Congress(I) camp, of course, a damage-control exercise was mounted.

The party spokesperson, Ms Ambika Soni, quoted Mrs Sonia Gandhi as having said that the Governor should not act in violation of Constitutional norms. Fine words these, but a little late in the day. For, now that Mr Soren has been sworn in Chief Minister, what hope or scope is there for the the wrong to be undone?

Such homilies should have been made before and not after the event, if Mrs Sonia Gandhi wants the nation to believe that her words have sincerity. Look at what happened in Goa not so long ago, where both the Congress(I) and the BJP outdid each other in political brinkmanship.

If the events in Jharkhand and Goa are sufficient to put a question mark against our loud and forceful claims of being a mature democracy, the prospect of what might happen in Bihar is scarier. By all accounts there should be an attempt to install an elected government, but if Mr Paswan continues to stick to his stand of not supporting either the NDA or the RJD, there will be a constitutional deadlock in Bihar.

That can only be resolved by the imposition of President's rule; but Mr Lalu Prasad is surely not going to spare any effort to pressure the Governor into installing Mrs Rabri Devi as chief minister.

Once again, it is Mrs Sonia Gandhi who is in the eye of the storm. If she can use her skills to persuade Mr Paswan to change his mind — he too will have difficulty keeping his flock together, as they must already be scenting the goodies in store from both the NDA and UPA sides — the storm can be weathered, though it may not be the best of solutions for the people of Bihar, who deserve better than one more RJD regime.

It will, however, at least be a democratic exercise. But if Mrs Rabri Devi is sworn in without Mr Paswan's pledge of support, that will be yet another outrage on democracy.

And the BJP will protest with and invoke Hitler — forgetting that not so long ago a similar description was used for their chief minister in Gujarat — but it will not be without cause.

(Response may be sent to rasheeda@thehindu.co.in)

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