Friday, April 1 2005 08:35 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Ranchi: Objecting to the alleged dropping of Janata Dal United (JDU's) Jaleshwar Mahto from the list of Ministers to be included during expansion of Ministry in Jharkhand on Tuesday (Mar 29, 2005), party leader and Welfare Minister Ramesh Singh Munda last night (Mar 31, 2005) claimed it had been done ignoring the recommendation of the party's national leadership.

''Mahto and I had been recommended by JDU's national leadership to be part of the Arjun Munda Ministry. But Mahto's name was found missing, which came as a surprise to (senior party leaders) Nitish Kumar, George Fernandes, Sharad Yadav and Digvijay Singh,'' Munda said over the phone from Patna.

''Till Mahto is taken into the Ministry, I will not take charge of my Ministry. I am prepared to put in papers,'' he said and added the central leaders had told the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership to induct Mahto in the Ministry.

Stating that he had met all the top leaders of the party at the residence of senior leader Digvijay Singh at Patna yesterday, the Minister said BJP's in charge for Jharkhand affairs Rajnath Singh had been informed about the matter.

Under a formula, three MLAs from BJP and two from JDU were to be taken into the Ministry with Mahto and he being the choice from JDU, Ramesh Singh Munda claimed. ''But it was surprising how things changed in the last minute''.

Radha Krishna Kishore had sworn in along with Ramesh Singh Munda to fulfil the quota, triggering angry protests by Mahto's supporters at Raj Bhavan.

Chief Minister Arjun Munda also left one berth from BJP quota vacant.