CM Munda to pull Lord's chariot

JAMSHEDPUR: Caught in the push and the pull of coalition politics, Jharkhand chief minister Arjun Munda has turned to Lord Jagannath and decided to pull the Lord''s chariot in his constituency on July 1.
Munda announced on Thursday that he would lead the 5-kilometer-long “Rath Yatra�in this assembly constituency, Kharsawan, in Saraikela-Kharsawan district next month.The chief minister hopes the obeisance offered to Lord Jagannath would bring prosperity, peace and stability to the state.
Lord Jagannath seems to have attained a special significance in the wobbly Jharkhand politics. Before Munda, a group of coalition ministers made a trip to Puri to seek Lord Jagannath''s blessing to oust former chief minister Babulal Marandi. Their prayers were answered and the ministers paid a second visit to express their gratitude.
Now Munda, who took over the reins of power, a little over three months ago, has ordered the local administration to make elaborate arrangements for the ailing Lord''s journey to “mashir badi� or maternal aunts home.
About Rs 10 lakh was being reportedly spent on construction of the new chariot. The government has to bear the cost of all major religious festivities in the erstwhile princely state of Kharsawan as per an agreement between the Indian union and former royal family, Munda pointed out.
Munda personally flew down to the Steel City apparently to oversee the constriction of grand chariot. He has also involved the state tourism department for the revival of nearly six-century-old tradition at Kharsawn. The chief minister also proposes to use the opportunity to announce new schemes and run literacy campaign.
Munda, nevertheless, has to worry about the stability of his government that enjoys a wafer-thin majority in the House.
His finance minister and senior BJP legislator M P Singh a few days ago offered to resign for the chief minister''s comment on the state budget. The alliance partners reportedly had their daggers out on the issue of state electricity board restructuring sometime back.
Munda''s close friend and senior BJP leader Suryu Roy has been locked in a bitter verbal duel with energy minister Lalchand Mahato and science and technology minister Samresh Singh. The chief minister publicly rued the system had collapsed.
However, on Thursday, Munda made a U-turn and insisted he had been misquoted and misunderstood. The government has been running with the cooperation of everyone. The finance minister has misconstrued my remark. He is a senior minister and makes valuable contribution towards the development of the state.
The chief minister also rubbished reports on growing discontent among coalition ministers. He parried question on the proposed cabinet expansion apparently placate disgruntled BJP legislators.