Ranchi, December 23 2009: Jharkhand on Wednesday slipped into more political uncertainty with a messy, fractured verdict that saw both the Congress and the BJP led alliances jockey for power as the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) was pitchforked into the role of kingmaker in the 81-member assembly.

The staggered election threw up no clear victor and paved the way for more political jostling before government could be formed.

The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led alliances were virtually neck-and-neck and the JMM followed close behind, making a hung assembly inevitable.

According to the latest trends (1800 IST) available for the 81 seats, the BJP and its partner Janata Dal-United had together won 17 seats and were leading in three, totalling to 20 possible seats.

The Congress had won 10 and was leading in five constituencies.

Its partner, the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik, bagged six and was leading in four seats, adding to 25 .

Shibu Soren's JMM got 13 seats and was ahead in fiveits 18 possible seats propelling it to kingmaker in any electoral calculation in the state that has been under president's rule for almost a year.

Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), which could also play a role in government formation, was poised to get five seats.

As the Congress and the BJP vied for the JMM's support, the party put a rider on its supportmake Soren, who was watching the results unfold on TV from Bokaro, chief minister.

"We will support only those who will favour Shibu Soren (the JMM chief) as the new chief minister," JMM general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya told IANS right in the morning as the trend became clear.

The Congress played its "secular" card to woo Soren while the BJP said nobody was "untouchable". "It is high time that secular forces unite," said union Food Processing Minister and Congress MP Subodh Kant Sahay.

"It will be premature to say anything at this stage," a cautious Congress leader Manish Tiwari said in New Delhi.

However, some Congress leaders were buoyed by the fact that the RJD and the JMM, though estranged partners and not part of the United Progressive Alliance, supported it from outside.

"They are not part of the UPA as of now but the RJD and JMM support the central government from outside," Congress Working Committee member Satyavrat Chaturvedi said.

But it was easier said than done.

Though the Congress said it would initiate talks with the JMM, its ally and former BJP chief minister Babulal Marandi was less than happy.

I do not like bargaining.

It is wrong if anyone is ready to support with the condition of getting the chief minister's post," Marandi, whose party has been targeting the same tribal vote bank as the JMM, said.

Congress sources added one way out was offering a cabinet berth to Soren and a deputy chief minister's post to his son Heman as a sop.

BJP was also eyeing its own chances at power.

Key leaders said the party would have no problem in giving Soren the chief minister's post if it would check the growth of the Congress and the JVM-P.Admitting that the BJP would not be able to form the government on its own, Jharkhand unit president Raghubar Das said no one was "untouchable" in politics and that the party was "open to an alliance".

The election also threw up some interesting results.

Among the prominent winners was Geeta Koda, the wife of graft-tainted former chief minister Madhu Koda, who won from Jagganthpur constituency defeating BJP's Sonaram Biruwa.

"It is the victory of my husband.

This is the victory of the people and it is also the victory of honesty of Madhu Koda," Geeta Koda said about her jailed husband.

The five-phased polls to the Jharkhand assembly were held between Nov 25 and Dec 18 .

A total of 1,511 candidates were in the fray and a 58 percent voter turnout was recorded.

As counting day to drew to an end and the JMM flexed its muscles, the question was whether it would be third time lucky for Soren who was close to his dream of becoming chief minister again hopefully for a full term this time.

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