Thursday, March 3 2005 12:59 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The CPM (Communist Party of India-Marxist) today (Mar 3, 2005) questioned the "hasty manner" in which Jharkhand Governor ascertained the support for the two political combinations in the State for forming the next Government there.

"Even while not accepting the claim of the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party)-led alliance about the majority it has mustered in Jharkhand, it must be pointed out that the hasty manner in which the Governor has gone about ascertaining the support for the two combinations is controversial," CPM's Polit Bureau said in a statement in New Delhi today.

The Left party said it has consistently held the position that the claims of majority support and the formation of Government must be decided on the floor of the Legislature.

"The Governor, or the Raj Bhavan, cannot be the deciding factor," it said.

It also remarked that "the BJP is protesting loudly about what happened in Jharkhand, but it is also responsible for using Governors in a partisan manner and violating norms, as seen in the installation of an unrepresentative Government in Bihar in 2000."

"It is essential for protecting democratic practices that Governors scrupulously adhere to norms," the CPM said.