The BJP staked claim to form the government in Jharkhand after its national president Nitin Gadkari called up legislature party leader Raghuvar Das last night from Moscow.
Das told reporters that Gadkari asked him to convene a meeting of BJP MLAs and pass on the mantle to former chief minister Arjun Munda.
"At 11:30 pm I got a phone call from our party president, who asked me to call a legislature party meeting today at 9:00 to elect Munda in my place," he said.
Munda had late last night sent a list of 45 MLAs with their signatures to the national leadership after JMM gave a signal on September 4 that it would give unconditional support to whichever party initiated government formation.
He had contacted senior leaders Ananth Kumar, Rajnath Singh and Venkaiah Naidu for a green signal.
Das gave party leaders some anxious moments as he arrived three hours late before submitting his resignation as the legislature party leader.
"The delay indicates that a section of the BJP are not keen on forming a government and want mid-term polls...but the party’s direction should be adhered to," said a senior leader.
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