JMM chief Shibu Soren on Tuesday stepped up efforts to become the next Jharkhand Chief Minister as he met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and is understood to have placed his demand.

JMM general secretary Hemlal Murmu told PTI that Soren met Singh but declined to divulge what transpired. Murmu was with Soren when the meeting took place.

Murmu also claimed that Congress chief Sonia Gandhi was present when Soren met Singh but there was no official word from the Congress side. JMM has also decided to meet RJD chief Lalu Prasad in this regard.

A senior Congress leader, who declined to be identified, merely said that Soren has placed his demand before the leadership and indicated that it would take four-five days for a decision. It is unlikely that there would be any reshuffle in the cabinet until the Jharkhand Chief Ministership issue is resolved.

Soren has been offered a berth in the Union Cabinet by the Prime Minister and another Minister of State for one of his colleagues but the tribal leader is more inclined for the Chief Ministership of home state.

JMM had played a key role in bailing out the UPA in the trust vote on July 22 after setting conditions.

A senior JMM leader claimed Soren was earlier assured by Congress that if he could muster majority support in the Jharkhand Assembly, the UPA would consider replacement of Chief Minister Madhu Koda.

Soren, however, is facing an uphill task given the fact that Jharkhand assembly is a hung House.

While Koda is an independent backed by JMM with 17 MLAs, RJD has seven MLAs, and Congress nine MLAs including the Speaker besides over a dozen independents in the 81-member state assembly.