In retrospect, it is clear that the confidence of the NDA leadership at the Centre was misplaced. Barely a day after Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani and NDA Convener George Fernandes announced that there would be no change in leadership in Jharkhand and that a compromise formula had been worked out with the warring Samata Party and JD(U) groups in the state, four of the five rebelling ministers managed to rope in three more cabinet colleagues to jointly resign and topple the 28-month-old government led by BJP's Babulal Marandi.

FROWNING GLORY: Despite his resolve not to give in, Marandi failed to prevent the coup

The rebels have now indicated that Assembly Speaker I.S. Namdhari will head the alternative government backed by, among others, the JMM, Congress and the RJD. In a house of 81 (one vacancy), the NDA has been reduced to a minority, with Marandi retaining the support of 37 MLAs and the Opposition, 43. "This is a conspiracy and the Speaker is a part of it," Marandi said, adding that the NDA would pass a no-confidence motion against Namdhari.

The March 13 developments were a culmination of a week-long drama and intrigue that, for Marandi, had begun to take shape much earlier. For over a fortnight, the usually jovial chief minister had been displaying a marked aberration in disposition. He was not only seen rushing to colleagues' residences in a fitful state of aimlessness, but had also spent many sleepless nights.

Marandi's woeful condition could be traced to the five ministers whose one-point agenda since February 20 had been to unseat him. Known as the "gang of five", they belong to the JD(U) and the Samata, which were not only a part of the ruling coalition in the state but are also in the NDA Government at the Centre. Of the five, Lal Chand Mahto (Energy) belongs to the JD(U) while the rest-Madhu Singh (Land Reforms), Ramesh Singh Munda (Excise), Bachcha Singh (Urban Development) and Jaleshwar Mahto (PHE)-are from the Samata. The five were irked into demanding Marandi's dismissal after he refused to agree to their demands regarding official postings and transfers. Expectedly, they accused him of favouritism in announcing postings and granting key contracts. Having set a precedent of sorts by demanding the chief minister's head while still a part of the cabinet, the allies had been threatening to pull down the Government if the need arose. Apparently, it did.

For the NDA, the rebellion couldn't have come at a worse time-just after the BJP's drubbing in Himachal Pradesh. Little wonder then that Fernandes was assigned the task of firefighting. While assuring the rebels to take up their grievances with the BJP high command, he asked them to quit if they didn't have faith in Marandi. Union Railway Minister Nitish Kumar's intervention had also been sought.

The rebels, however, were adamant. "We want decentralisation of power to hasten development," justified Madhu Singh who wanted a separate department for land registration. The others too had their share of demands. While Mahto wanted state electricity board Chairman Rajib Ranjan replaced with his own candidate, Munda was asking for a free hand in the distribution of liquor licences and Bachcha Singh wanted a say in the creation of Greater Ranchi.

But Marandi was determined: "I'm not going to surrender to the ministers." He was banking on Minister of State for Sports Baijnath Ram from the JD(U) to switch over to his side-in vain. The BJP had also sought the help of Saryu Roy, an MLC in Bihar, in talking to the rebels, but it didn't help. Though Bachcha Singh did distance himself from the rebels, the others roped in three more before moving to the Opposition. Just before the coup, Leader of the Opposition Stephen Marandi had said, "The days of the corrupt Marandi Government are numbered." He may not have been the only person in the know.

— Farzand Ahmed in Ranchi