Around 26 MLAs of the ruling coalition who were camped in a resort in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur since August 30 landed back in Ranchi on Sunday. The MLAs were shifted to Raipur after the ruling UPA coalition raised concerns that the BJP was trying to poach the legislators.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Alamgir Alam said, A state of confusion is prevailing in Jharkhand. Our delegation met the Governor (on Thursday) and he assured us to clear the air in a day or two. But nothing has happened till now. Therefore, we will raise our points in the Assembly and prove our majority. Following a petition by the BJP seeking Soren’s disqualification from the Assembly in an office of profit case, the Election Commission (EC) sent its decision to Governor Ramesh Bais on August 25, sparking a political crisis in the state.
Though the EC’s decision has not yet been made official, there is a buzz that the poll panel has recommended the chief minister’s disqualification as an MLA. The ruling UPA has asserted that disqualification of the CM as an MLA will not affect the government, as the JMM-Congress-RJD coalition enjoys an absolute majority in the 81-member House.
After a meeting with the UPA MLAs on September 1 on the issue, the governor went to Delhi on Friday, triggering further speculation.
In a joint statement on August 28, UPA constituents had accused Bais of encouraging political horse-trading by deliberately delaying announcing the decision. Soren’s party Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) believes that the BJP may make a serious attempt to poach MLAs from the party and also from the ally Congress in a bid to topple the government in a manner similar to Maharashtra.
The JMM, the largest party, has 30 MLAs, the Congress 18 legislators, and the RJD one. The main opposition BJP has 26 MLAs in the House.
With inputs from News18
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