US embassy cable - 05CALCUTTA107

UNCLAS CALCUTTA 000107 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SA/INS AND INR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, IN, Indian Domestic Politics 
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT FORMED IN JHARKHAND -- TWO WEEKS LATER 
 
REF: A) NEW DELHI 1519, B) NEW DELHI 1304, C) CALCUTTA 072 
 
1.  On March 15 the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by 
Arjun Munda of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), won a vote of 
confidence on the floor of the Jharkhand Assembly, thereby 
establishing its governing majority.  Munda had been Chief 
Minister prior to the elections and resumed the post on March 
12, after Shibu Soren of the Jharkhand Muchti Morcha (JMM) could 
not win a vote of confidence in the Assembly as directed by the 
Supreme Court.  This brings an end to two weeks of post-election 
frenzied politicking that had propelled Jharkhand into the 
national spotlight.  The NDA's majority, however, is razor-thin 
and Munda's government is likely to be fragile. 
2.  The NDA margin was 40-37, with four MLA's not voting from 
the 81-member Assembly.  One non-voter was the Speaker, Inder 
Singh Namdhari of the NDA, who was elected just prior to the 
vote of confidence, and who only votes in cases of a tie.  The 
other three included Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) member 
Kamlesh Singh, who was a minister in Shibu Soren's short-lived 
government and is now a minister in Munda's government.  Kamlesh 
has spent the last several days in and out of the hospital 
alleging cardiac problems while conveniently avoiding having to 
violate party discipline by voting for the NDA.  Of the other 
two missing MLAs, independent Joba Manjhi may also be 
contemplating crossing the aisle to the NDA, but Sukhram Oraon 
(JMM) would not have that option due to the May 2004 
anti-defection act. 
3.  COMMENT.  Munda has successfully formed a government, but he 
may find actual governance a daunting task.  For one thing, 
government ministries are the much-coveted political spoils of 
victory, but a recent national policy allows Jharkhand to have 
only 12 ministers (15 percent of 81).  All five of the 
independents who joined the NDA have been rewarded with 
ministries as, apparently, has Kamlesh Singh.  Add to that Chief 
Minister Munda and only five slots remain for the faithful 
long-time MLA's of the core governing coalition, the BJP and 
Janata Dal (United) or JDU.  Those passed over are likely to be 
restive and resentful of the come-latelies unless Munda manages 
the coalition very skillfully.  END COMMENT. 
 
SIBLEY