The Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday gave Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren an additional 10 days to reply to its notice over charges that he issued a mining lease in the state in his favour, officials in the state government said.
Earlier in the day, Soren had said he had written to the EC that he be given a four-week extension to submit his reply to the notice sent to him on May 2, which had asked him to respond by May 10.
“The EC communication was sent to the office of the Jharkhand’s chief electoral officer, from where it was sent to the chief minister’s office. Though the CM had asked for four weeks’ time, the ECI has asked him to reply by May 20,” a top official in the state government said.
Soren said he had also requested EC that he would like to be given the opportunity of a personal hearing through his legal counsel before the poll panel formulates its opinion in the matter for tendering it to the Governor of Jharkhand.
The poll panel has received a representation from Jharkhand Governor Ramesh Bais on the issue of alleged misuse of office by the chief minister.
{{/usCountry}}The poll panel has received a representation from Jharkhand Governor Ramesh Bais on the issue of alleged misuse of office by the chief minister.
{{/usCountry}}If the charges are proved, Soren could be disqualified as a member of the state assembly.
“I deny and dispute all allegations of BJP that I had misused my office to obtain mining lease,” Soren said in the letter to EC on Tuesday.
Soren told EC he has not been able to engage a suitable legal counsel as he was compelled to remain in Hyderabad, except for a short absence when he attended the conference of chief ministers and chief justices with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on April 30, as his 67-year-old mother has been critically ill for about eight months and had to be airlifted on April 28, 2022, from Ranchi to Hyderabad for better medical treatment. “She is presently under treatment in the ICU of AIG Hospital at Hyderabad. In order to ensure her proper medical treatment, I have also been presently, more or less, compelled to stay in Hyderabad .... In the above circumstances, I have not been able to engage suitable legal counsel to present my defence effectively before the Commission in a matter which so vitally effects my future political career and social life,” he said in the letter which he sent on May 5.
He wrote again to the EC on May 9 requesting it “to communicate its acceptance for my prayer for extension of time and oblige.”
The EC had recently written to the state government to share the documents related to the mining lease.
Last week, Soren had told Jharkhand High Court with regard to a public interest litigation (PIL) that political rivals are behind the petition on the issue of granting mining lease to himself with the motive to destabilise the democratically elected government in the state.
The issue has already triggered a political controversy in the mineral-rich state.