Jharkhand Governor Syed Sibtey Razi on Friday dismissed the charge that his controversial decision to install Shibu Soren as chief minister was influenced by Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
"Nobody had influenced me. If anything had influenced me then it were the Constitution and the facts of the case and the practices adopted in various court cases," he told reporters in New Delhi after meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
During his 45-minute meeting with the PM, Razi explained to Singh the political developments that prompted him to invite Soren to form the government.
He had earlier called on President A P J Abdul Kalam, who had summoned him, and Home Minister Shivraj Patil.
Razi had invited Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief Shibu Soren to form the government in the state despite the National Democratic Alliance parading before him 41 members of the 81-member Jharkhand assembly.
Razi said he would advance the assembly session at the earliest for the Jharkhand government's trial of strength. He said he was returning to Ranchi on Saturday and would fix the date for the trial in consultation with the leaders of various political parties.