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UPA MLAS return to Ranchi ahead of trust vote
The legislators were then shifted to Ranchi circuit house in Ranchi, which has been put under heavy security, people aware of the development said.
RANCHI: The ruling coalition legislators camping at a resort in Raipur returned to Ranchi on Sunday, a day ahead of the one-day session of the Jharkhand assembly when the JMM-Congress-RJD combine government will move a confidence motion in a show of strength amid the political stalemate over the assembly membership of chief minister Hemant Soren.
The 31 legislators of JMM and Congress, including two ministers, Banna Gupta and Badal Patralekh, returned to Ranchi on a special flight from Chhattisgarh capital at around 5 pm. Ministers Mithlesh Thakur and Satyanand Bhokta were at the airport to receive the MLAs, who landed at Birsa Munda airport about an hour later due to bad weather.
The legislators were then shifted to Ranchi circuit house (district administration guest house) in heart of the capital, which has been put under heavy security. “They would together head to the Jharkhand assembly on Monday morning to attend the special session,” people aware of the development said.
Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto confirmed that the government would move a confidence motion in the assembly on Monday. “As per the information we have from the leader of the house, (CM Hemant Soren) they want to move a confidence motion. What else business would be taken up during the session, we would be able to know by only tomorrow,” said Mahto.
Speaking to reporters on Monday’s special session and the prevailing political situation, Soren said they were prepared to face the Opposition.
“There is nothing unusual in this (bringing confidence motion). The Opposition is repeatedly weaving webs around us. But I would like to underline that we would tie them in their own web and throw them out,” said Soren.
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led ruling alliance has 49 members in the 81-member state assembly. JMM has 30 lawmakers, the Congress 18, and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) one.
The BJP and its ally All Jharkhand Students Union have 28 lawmakers. There are also two independent, a Nationalist Congress Party and a Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) members in the House.
The legislature party of the BJP, meanwhile, held a two-hour meeting strategizing for Monday’s session.
Hitting out at the state government for bringing the confidence motion, BJP legislature party leader Babulal Marandi said the government does not even trust its MLAs.
“This is unprecedented that the government itself is bringing confidence motion. This happens when either due to direction from the governor or the courts. But it seems this government has lost the trust of its MLAs,” said Marandi, adding that they were justified in seeking the removal of the chief minister for holding the mining lease.
