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Jharkhand political crisis: Governor Ramesh Bais flies to Delhi
The ruling coalition on Thursday asked Bais to put to rest the confusion and end efforts to destabilise the democratically elected government through illicit means
Jharkhand governor Ramesh Bais left for New Delhi on Friday a day after a delegation of the state’s ruling coalition met and asked him to clear the air on a confidential Election Commission of India (ECI) report on chief minister Hemant Soren’s assembly membership. Bais received the report in a sealed envelope ostensibly recommending Soren’s disqualification and triggered a political crisis in the state last week.
Soren is accused of illegally receiving a mining licence and the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded his resignation.
The ruling coalition on Thursday asked Bais to put to rest the confusion and end efforts to destabilise the democratically elected government through illicit means. It requested him to declare the opinion if received from the ECI forthwith.
READ | Jharkhand CM Soren asks governor for clarity on EC note, calls special session
The coalition called selective leaks from the governor’s office on the ECI report unfortunate and said they were creating a state of chaos, confusion, and uncertainty that vitiates the administration. In a statement Bais’s office said he assured the delegation he would soon take the adequate measure.
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) member in the House.
The ruling coalition on Tuesday sent 31 of its lawmakers to a resort in Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh to prevent their poaching. On Wednesday, four Congress lawmakers flew back to Ranchi for a meeting while the lone RJD lawmaker left for Chhattisgarh.
READ | Raj Bhavan leaks creating instability, clear air on Soren: Jharkhand MLAs
Bais sought the ECI’s advice after the BJP demanded action against Soren for allegedly holding an “office of profit”, which in this case is the mining licence.
It was unclear whether ECI has also recommended that Soren be barred from contesting elections for a specific time period.
The state Cabinet separately on Thursday decided to call a one-day assembly session for the ruling alliance to show its strength, discuss the political situation following ECI’s letter, and finalise the cut-off date to decide on a contentious domicile policy.
READ | Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren in survival battle as EC report goes to guv
The Cabinet also decided to hire a chopper to “ferry VIPs” from within and outside the state for one month at the cost of ₹2.6 crore, which observers said could be used to fly lawmakers.
In February, the BJP submitted a memorandum to the governor seeking Soren’s disqualification and alleging he misused his position to get the licence of a stone mine near Ranchi allotted in his name. Soren applied for cancellation of the lease the same month.
The BJP said Soren violated the office of profit rules and should be disqualified under Section 9(A) of the Representation of People Act.
Soren has maintained holding a mining lease was out of the purview of the office of profit rules. He said the lease was originally granted to him when he was not the chief minister.
