THE Bharatiya Janata Party is rightly incensed about Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren breaking ranks during the party's failed cut motion against the United Progressive Alliance government on Tuesday. But the BJP, which has since withdrawn support to his government, has only itself to blame for supping with Mr Soren whose track record shows that a desire for power is the only consideration guiding his politics.
And if the party has learnt its lesson the hard way, we wonder what the Congress party is up to if reports about its deal with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha are correct.
Not very long ago, the Congress took the high moral ground on the issue of joining a coalition headed by Mr Soren as chief minister.
Now it is seeing some " secular" virtues in him. Reports suggest it may now allow Mr Soren's son Hemant to lead a coalition government with its support in Jharkhand.
The entire cut motion episode — which also saw the BSP, Samajwadi Party and RJD surprisingly put their lot behind the UPA — is another illustration of the cynicism that pervades our polity where rank opportunism rather than any principle determines who is on what side of the ruling alliance.