Tuesday, March 1 2005 20:26 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Jharkhand: Senior Congress leader Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi said on Tuesday (March 1, 2005) that Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Shibu Soren is likely to lead the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in Jharkhand.

This means that if the UPA is invited by Governor Syed Sibtey Razi to form the Government, Soren would be Chief Minister.

The Laloo Prasad Yadav-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), a part of the UPA, has supported Soren's candidature to lead the alliance.

None of the two major political combinations in the State -- the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) or the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led UPA have won a clear majority in the 81-member State Assembly.

Dasmunshi and Congress leader R K Anand met Soren on Tuesday afternoon. They also met RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Arjun Munda, who has been re-elected as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislature unit leader, has put in his resignation.