Saturday, March 12 2005 21:52 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Ranchi: JMM (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha) chief Shibu Soren today (March 12, 2005) alleged that the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) had vitiated the political culture in Jharkhand by resorting to 'horse trading' and sought to know whether the independent MLAs in the Munda cabinet remain 'captive Ministers'.

Soren said that the announcement of the name NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) legislator Kamlesh Singh, a Minister in his erstwhile Government, among those to be sworn in today in the Arjun Munda cabinet spoke of which camp had indulged in horse trading.

Addressing a joint press conference that included JPCC (Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee) president Sushila Kerketa, RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) leader Girinath Singh and JMM rebel Stephen Marandi, Soren asked, "Will the independent MLAs sworn in the Munda cabinet remain as captive Ministers?"

He criticised the NDA leaders for 'treating' the independents as cattle because of the way they had been 'kept huddled in a bus all the time'.

Stating that the UPA would meet later to chalk out strategy to fight the NDA in the Assembly and outside, Soren, who quit last night paving the way for Arjun Munda to become Chief Minister, said the NDA, which was in power, had lost the mandate by falling short of a majority.

Stephen Marandi, the deputy Chief Minister in the erstwhile UPA Ministry claimed, "While I am the lone independent member in the UPA, the NDA has five independents, which means losing the mandate."

Defending Governor Syed Sibte Razi for inviting the UPA to form the Government, Marandi said, "We have always been saying that we had the majority, but we did not get an opportunity to prove our strength on the floor of the Assembly."