Ranchi (PTI): The 23-month-old UPA coalition government in Jharkhand was reduced to a minority on Sunday night after the JMM withdrew support in pursuit of its agenda to get Chief Minister Madhu Koda replaced by its supremo Shibu Soren triggering a fresh political crisis.

Executing his threat made on August 12 that JMM will pull out if Koda is not removed by today , Soren handed over the letter of withdrawal of support to Governor Syed Sibtey Razi after day-long deliberations of the regional party. He was accompanied to the Raj Bhavan by three of the five JMM MPs and all 17 MLAs of the party.

In a House of 81, the coalition government had a wafer thin majority with support of 42 MLAs but after the 17 JMM legislators pulled Koda, an Independent, was in trouble. Besides Congress (9) and RJD (7), which are lending support to the UPA coalition from outside, five Independents and four legislators of smaller parties backed the government.

"The administration's mis-governance was having its effect and we could not carry the Koda baggage any more", Soren told newsmen after withdrawing support.

Koda however expressed confidence that a way will be found out of the present crisis and that he will be consulting the UPA"s central leadership.

Three of the JMM ministers -- Deputy Chief Minister Sudhir Mahto, Agriculture Minister Nalin Soren and Revenue Minister Dulal Bhuyan -- also handed over their resignations.

Asked whether he had staked claim to the chief ministership, Soren said "we have asked the governor to take a final decision in the matter". In the letter submitted to Razi, the JMM had requested him to explore the possibility of formation of an alternative government.

JMM had backed the UPA government at the Centre in the crucial trust vote last month in an apparent deal with the Congress where Soren was to be made the chief minister again.

Rizvi said he will go by the constitution. The term of the Jharkand Assembly ends in March 2010.

BJP, which has 30 MLAs and backing of seven legislators of tts ally JDU 7, indicated that it would favour fresh elections. "We want fresh elections in the state," said BJP's Jharkand unit chief P N Singh.

The BJP has already ruled out support to either Soren or Koda.

"We have burnt our hands once with the independents and there is no chance of our party siding with the JMM. We prefer to go for polls rather than experimenting with new formations," party vice-president Yashwant Sinha told PTI.

Soren, who had a brief nine-day stint as chief minister in April, 2005 before quitting the chair, had on August 12 threatened to withdraw support to the government if Koda did not resign.

In 2005, Soren's attempt to become the chief minister failed after he could not muster a majority on the floor of the house in a week after he was sworn-in.

"My government is not in danger. I am confident of its survival. I hope a middle path can be found out (to resolve JMM's grievance)," Koda said here on Saturday night.