Ranchi: Bowing to mounting pressure by the allies following his defeat in the Tamar assembly bypoll, Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren resigned from his post , shortly after his deputy Stephen Marandi put in his papers.
Ending the five-day long speculation on his continuance in the top post, Soren drove to the Raj Bhavan here to submit his resignation to Governor Syed Sibte Razi.
However, before Soren could make it to the Governor's house, Marandi, who had been most vocal on the issue of the Chief Minister's resignation after his defeat to Jharkhand Party nominee Gopal Kirshna Patar at Tamar, arrived in the Raj Bhavan and put in his papers.
"The Chief Minister should have resigned soon after his defeat in the bypoll. Since that has not happened I have put in my papers," Marandi said and left as Soren's carcade entered the Raj Bhavan premises.
"As per democratic tradition, I have put in the papers," Soren told reporters.
The Governor said he would look into the possibilities for an alternative after going into the Constitutional and legal norms and conventions.
He, however, did not spell out as to what options were open in the aftermath of the Chief Minister's resignation.
Soren later told reporters that JMM would not back out from projecting party MLA Champai Soren as his successor.
"We have decided Champai Soren as our (chief ministerial) candidate. Yesterday, I informed the central UPA leaders...I also called a meeting inviting state UPA allies, but none came...the JMM will not change its decision on its candidate," Soren said.
He said he had resigned following his defeat at the Tamar bypoll and to uphold Constitutional norms, adding it was upto the UPA to decide on the JMM's nominee.
"We are ready to go for elections, if Champai Soren's candidature is rejected," Soren added.
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