With disqualification staring five Jharkhand ministers in the face, the JMM has stepped up pressure on the Congress to help party president Shibu Soren become the Chief Minister of the state, replacing Madhu Koda.

Senior JMM leaders maintain that it is the Congress' moral duty to help Soren secure a majority in the state assembly after the party voted for the UPA during the confidence motion in Parliament.

Speaker Alamgir Alam who belongs to the Congress holds the key to a decision on the issue which has gained urgency with the Jharkhand High Court issuing notices to the ministers on Thursday while hearing a petition seeking their disqualification from the house under the anti-defection law.

The five ministers served with the notices are Deputy Chief Minister Stephen Marandi, Rural Development Minister Enos Ekka, Health Minister Bhanu Pratap Shahi, Water Resources Minister Kamlesh Singh and Science and Technology Minister Chandraprakash Choudhary.

These ministers have become a major roadblock in Soren becoming CM as they strongly back Koda who is an independent MLA.

Hence, the JMM is insisting on Congress to step in to 'convince' the ministers in Jharkhand which abounds in precedents of last-minute switch-overs by legislators.

Three ministers in Koda government were ministers in the Arjun Munda-led NDA government but switched sides within a few days.

When contacted JMM central organising secretary Suprio Bhattacharya exuded confidence that the party would secure more votes than required for a majority in the house.

"All the ministers will finally support us," said Bhattacharya but refused to divulge any details.