NEW DELHI, RANCHI, MARCH 3 Developments in Jharkhand had Delhi in turmoil today with President A P J Abdul Kalam taking the unprecedented step of summoning Governor Syed Sibtey Razi while the BJP and its allies, denied the chance to return to power in the state despite the numbers, paralysed Parliament over the manner in which JMM chief Shibu Soren was sworn-in as Chief Minister.

Around the time Sibtey Razi was flying to Delhi, L K Advani and other BJP leaders reached Rashtrapati Bhavan to parade 41 MLAs, dangling number tags, to prove they enjoyed the majority in an Assembly of 81 members. According to Advani, Kalam assured them that he would do whatever he could after meeting the Governor tomorrow morning.

There was speculation that the Governor may be asked to advance the trial of strength in the Assembly for which he had given Soren 20 days. On the backfoot after the uproar, an embarrassed Congress leadership sought to distance itself from the Governor’s action, claiming Sonia Gandhi had told partymen that they should do nothing in violation of the Constitution.

The Congress leadership met at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s residence for damage control. Singh also held consultations with Attorney General Milon Bannerjee.

In a combative mood, the NDA stalled Parliament this morning, describing the installation of Soren as ‘‘murder and rape of democracy.’’ The combine has decided not to let both Houses function till the Jharkhand issue is sorted out. NDA leaders are meeting again tomorrow to decide the future course of action.

Using Jharkhand to put pressure on Bihar Governor Buta Singh, the NDA is also contemplating total withdrawal of its members from both Houses in case the RJD is invited to form the government.

Ironically, the first indication to NDA that the Congress was trying to distance itself from Sibtey Razi’s decision came when Manmohan Singh told a senior BJP leader that the Governor should have followed the Constitution.

Advani kept the heat on, calling Sibtey Razi the ‘‘supari hatyara (contract killer) of democracy’’ since he had hijacked the people’s mandate. ‘‘It is a major step for us that the President has summoned the Governor. We are expecting that after this, the government will rethink before misusing the office of the Governor, even in Bihar,’’ he said.

He demanded that the Soren government be dismissed, Arjun Munda be sworn in as Chief Minister and that Razi not be allowed to nominate an Anglo-Indian member to the House before Soren’s confidence vote.

There was high drama when the NDA reached Rashtrapati Bhavan in a convoy with the five Independent MLAs who took the tally to 41: Enos Ekka, Sudesh Mahato, Chandra Prakash Chowdhary, Madhu Kora, Harinarayan Rai. BJP MLA Tala Marandi came on a stretcher in an ambulance.

In Ranchi, Soren told a press conference that Independents Harinarayan Rai and Enos Ekka were with him. But there was no tinge of bravado in that assertion.

Flanked by his new deputy Stephen Marandi, Bandhu Tirkey and Subodh Kant Sahay, Soren claimed ‘‘the NDA abducted Ekka and Harinarayan.’’

Jharkhand Party president N E Horo, in a letter to Sibtey Razi, complained that his party legislator Ekka was ‘‘missing.’’ Horo was trying to lend credence to the kidnapping allegation levelled by the Soren group.

—(Shishir Gupta & Kota Neelima in New Delhi, Diptosh Majumdar & Manoj Prasad in Ranchi)