The stand-off between the ruling UPA and the Left parties over the nuclear deal seems to have become a blessing in disguise for Chief Minister Madhu Koda. His four cabinet colleagues — Bhanu Pratap Shahi, Stephen Marandi, Joba Manjhi and Bandhu Tirkey — who had come out in the open with a scathing attack on him, have suddenly become silent, indicating that they are longer dissidents. The Damocles’ sword hanging over him ever since the Congress’s state in charge, Ajay Maken, served him an ultimatum — threatening to withdraw support — has seemingly disappeared too.

No wonder, having secured a place in the Limca Book of Records as the longest serving Independent CM in the country, Koda is all geared up to celebrate his two years in office on September 18. “I will complete full-term in office — till 2010,” he claims.

On the other hand, the ongoing tug of war between the UPA and the Left, that can pave the way for the Lok Sabha polls by the end of this year, has prompted Koda’s allies, the JMM and RJD, in their apparent bid to neutralise the anti-incumbency effect, to start playing the Congress’ tune. Both these parties, which support the Government on the floor of the Assembly, have hit the streets accusing the state Government of perpetrating “rampant corruption and misrule”. While the JMM held a public meeting in Ranchi on June 18, the RJD leaders took out a protest rally in Ranchi on June 21.

“If I was the chief minister, things would not have been as bad as they are now,” said JMM’s Shibu Soren. Clearly, the constituents of the UPA — the Congress, JMM and RJD — are a divided lot in the state, and that is a major cause for cheer in the NDA camp, led by the BJP and the JD(U).

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