Monday, February 28 2005 13:06 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Ranchi: Jharkhand's first Assembly elections yesterday (Feb 27, 2005) threw up a fractured verdict setting off a race for power between ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which emerged as the biggest pre-poll group closer to majority mark and its principal rival Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-Congress.

With results of all the 81 seats out, NDA bagged 35 seats, six short of the majority mark while 26 seats went to another pre-poll combination of JMM with 17 seats and Congress with 9.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), which had no pre-poll tie-up with either Congress or JMM, finished with 7 seats, Forward Bloc with 2 and Communist Party of India-Marxist-Leninist (CPI-ML) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) with 1 each.

The verdict leaves the independents, who won 12 seats, with a crucial say in Government formation.

Both BJP and JMM stepped up efforts to muster the required number with the saffron party deputing its senior leader M Venkaiah Naidu to Ranchi drum up the support and JMM chief Shibu Soren holding discussions over telephone with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, RJD president Laloo Prasad, Lok Janashakti Party (LJP) leader Ramvilas Paswan and the independent MLAs.

Chief Minister Arjun Munda, who retained his Kharsawan seat for third successive term, expressed confidence NDA would be able to form the Government by securing the support of others.

Soren said that talks were on to woo back rebel JMM leader Stephen Marandi who as an independent after being denied official nomination won the Dumka seat defeating the son of the party chief Hemant.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Harikesh Bahadur said that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) constituents would meet Governor Syed Sibtey Razi today (Feb 28, 2005) to stake claim to form Government.