NEW DELHI: The Arjun Munda Government is facing a crisis as three Ministers, all Independents, have resigned and are in touch with the United Progressive Alliance leaders to explore an alternative.

Enos Ekka, Madhu Koda and Harinarain Rai have submitted their resignations to the Chief Minister, Bharatiya Janata Party leaders confirmed here on Monday.

But the Chief Minister apparently has not accepted the resignations.

The three of them arrived in the capital two days ago and have been in touch with some UPA leaders. Although officially both the BJP and the Congress are tight-lipped, both camps admitted privately that the Munda Government's chances of survival was "50:50."

For the BJP, the crisis has come at an awkward time, just before its scheduled national executive committee meeting in Dehradun from September 7.

Brewing crisis

The political situation in Jharkhand is akin to what prevailed in Goa before the last Assembly election when the BJP-led Government had a simple majority of one.

The crisis in the State was brewing for the past few months, after the former Chief Minister, Babulal Marandi, who has considerable hold over the State Legislative Party, quit his Koderma Lok Sabha constituency in May this year following differences with the party.

In Jharkhand in a House of 81, the Munda Government has the support of 43 MLAs, one of whom is Speaker Inder Singh Namdhari.

The Opposition, including the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (17), Congress (9) and others add up to 38.

Even if these three independent MLAs were to cross over to the other side, the "alternative" group will have 41 members, and after one of them is elected Speaker, the group will be short of a majority.

Munda's plans

Mr. Munda, who had indicated that he would be arriving here Monday evening to talk to senior BJP leaders, has now postponed his departure from Ranchi to Tuesday morning.

He is to attend the Chief Ministers' meeting to be addressed by the Prime Minister.

UNI reports from Bokaro:

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha supremo and Union Coal Minister Shibu Soren on Monday said he was ready to join State politics if he was made Chief Minister.

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