Dissident NDA MLAs, along with some from the opposition on Thursday night elected Jharkhand assembly Speaker Inder Singh Namdhari as their leader.

The BJP-led Jharkhand government, led by Chief Minister Babulal Marandi, was reduced to a minority after seven ministers resigned on the floor of the assembly and sought to distance themselves from the ruling coalition.

"Namdhari was elected leader at a joint meeting of dissidents NDA and opposition MLAs at Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Shibu Soren's residence in Ranchi," sources close to Namdhari told rediff.com.

The dissident ministers belong to the Samata Party, Janata Dal (United) and some smaller parties.

The house has an effective strength of 69.

Namdhari, who enjoys the support of 42 MLAs, is expected to meet Governor M Rama Jois and stake claim to form the new government with the support of opposition MLAs, including those from the Congress, JMM and RJD.

On Thursday night, 42 legislators supporting Namdhari met Jois and staked claim to form a new dispensation.

Leader of the Opposition Stephen Marandi said the governor told them that he would look into the constitutional aspects of the political crisis before taking any decision.

Namdhari, however, did not accompany them.

Meanwhile, Babulal Marandi refused to resign and insisted he would prove his majority on the floor of the house.

Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani is understood to have spoken to Jois on Thursday night on the political crisis in the state. Sources said the Centre has not so far received any report from the governor on the evolving situation.

Earlier in the day, even as the two-and-half year old government was hit by a crisis when seven of its ministers resigned in the assembly, the opposition insisted on a vote on a cut motion on a demand for grants, which the speaker was inclined to concede.

Sensing trouble, the ruling party members trooped to the well of the house and Minister for Geology and Mines Ravindra Rai sought to move a no-confidence motion against Namdhari.

The speaker ignored it and put the cut motion to vote after which he announced that it had been passed by a voice vote.

Following bedlam, Namdhari was escorted out of the house even as the ruling party members were seen attempting to hurl chairs at the opposition benches.

With inputs from PTI