There Should be Consensus Before Govt Formation to Avoid Embarrassment, Says AJSU After Maha Debacle

Ranchi: The AJSU, the ally of the ruling BJP in Jharkhand, on Tuesday said political parties should always seek consensus before the formation of a government to avoid any situation of embarrassment.

The All Jharkhand Students' Union's reaction comes hours after Devendra Fadnavis's second stint as Maharashtra Chief Minister lasted barely 80 hours after a tumultuous month-long political drama.

"In a democracy, numbers are important and whoever has a majority should have the first right to form a government. Here he (Fadnavis) resigned saying he has no numbers," AJSU's chief spokesman Deosharan Bhagat said, asserting that people's mandate should be respected.

He said as every party has a different ideology, there should be a consensus before moving forward in forming a government to avoid such situations and embarrassment.

"Secondly, what is important is to run the government and not forming a government, as forming a government can be done in whatever way. Matters should be settled before the formation of the government," Bhagat said.

For the first time since the creation of Jharkhand 19 years ago, the AJSU is contesting the coming state elections on its own. It has field candidates in several constituencies against the nominees of the ally BJP.

Reacting to the developments in Maharashtra, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha general secretary Suprio Bhattacharya said constitutional values should be adhered to.

"We expect that democratic values should be adhered to and the Constitution should be protected," the JMM leader said.

Fadnavis, who was sworn in as chief minister on November 23, resigned earlier in the day after his deputy Ajit Pawar quit citing "personal reasons".

Jharkhand has seen its share of such political dramas till 2014, before the Raghubar Das government becoming the first regime to complete its full term of five years.