New Delhi:

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Hemant Soren is likely to meet Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Thursday. A formal announcement on the Congress-JMM alliance in Jharkhand is likely on Thursday evening.

The Cabinet will revoke President's rule and the alliance will stake claim to form the government in the state soon. Sources say a new government would be in place by July 10.

Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday held threadbare discussions with senior party leaders AK Antony, Jairam Ramesh, AICC General Secretary in-charge of Jharkhand BK Hariprasad and AICC General Secretary Shakeel Ahmed over the issue. The tribal-dominated state is under President's Rule since January 18 after the collapse of the Arjun Munda-led BJP government following the withdrawal of support by JMM on January 8.

The senior leadership of Congress had earlier stonewalled attempts to forge an alliance with JMM despite pressure by MLAs owing to its past bad experience of propping up an independent Madhu Koda-led government and criminal cases against some JMM leaders.

However, there was a re-thinking later keeping in mind the arithmetic for the next general elections. Congress has agreed to have a JMM Chief Minister in the state which in lieu has consented to give a lion's share (9-10) of the 14 Lok Sabha seats to the Congress.

Shibu Soren's son Hemant Soren, who is tipped to be the next chief minister, held a meeting with RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Wednesday night to seek his support for the coalition government.

source:http://ibnlive.in.com