BJP defends decision to form government in Jharkhand

The BJP today defended its decision to form a government headed by it in Jharkhand and said the decision was taken to keep Congress out of power in the politically fragile state.

"The BJP has formed the government in alliance with Shibu Soren's JMM and other outfits as part of its endeavour to keep the Congress out of power in that state", BJP national general secretary Ananth Kumar told reporters here.

All constituents of the BJP-led government headed by Arjun Munda decided to come together at their own free will not only to keep the Congress out of power, but in the larger interests of providing good governance for the remaining four years of the term of the state legislature in Jharkhand, he said.

The BJP-led government will provide a good governance and development in the mineral-rich state over the next four years, Kumar claimed. 

About three months ago at a press conference Kumar had blamed JMM leader Shibu Soren for the last minute breakdown of government formation then and was quoted as saying that the
BJP would not not engage with the latter ever again.