Shibu Soren resigns as Jharkhand CM

An isolated Shibu Soren resigned as Jharkhand Chief Minister on Sunday evening after failing to get the support of the Congress and its ally Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik ahead of Monday's trust vote in the assembly.

Soren met Governor M O H Farooq and submitted his resignation. Soren has been asked to continue as caretaker chief minister till an alternate arrangement is made, Principal Secretary to the Governor, Sudhir Tripathi said. With odds stacked against him, Soren, who has been holding on to his post after reneging on a power-sharing

deal with the Bharatiya Janata Party, made overtures to the Congress which was not forthcoming.

"We appealed to the political parties to support the Soren government in the interest of the state and to prevent imposition of President's rule. Till tonight, nobody has come forward," Deputy Chief Minister Sudesh Mahto told reporters at Raj Bhavan after Soren put in his papers.