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Soren holds hectic parleys amid political uncertainty in Jharkhand
People familiar with the details of the meeting said that strategies were being chalked out to ensure that there was no threat to the government. The people, however, said that a decision will be taken once Governor Ramesh Bais communicates to them the Election Commission’s opinion.
Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren chaired two meetings of legislators of the ruling alliance on Friday, a day after a report from the Election Commission of India ostensibly recommending his disqualification as a member of the assembly sent the state into a political crisis.
People familiar with the details of the meeting said that strategies were being chalked out to ensure that there was no threat to the government. The people, however, said that a decision will be taken once Governor Ramesh Bais communicates to them the Election Commission’s opinion.
Over 40 legislators from the ruling alliance attended a meeting in the morning at the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader’s residence to chalk out a strategy.
Emerging out of the nearly two-hour meeting, the legislators said the ruling alliance is intact.
“The message is loud and clear that we are intact and ready to face any consequences,” said JMM principal general secretary and spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya.
“There is no threat to the government,” JMM MLA Hafizul Ansari said.
Of the 49 ruling alliance MLAs in the 81-member assembly, the JMM has 30 legislators, the Congress 18, and the Rashtriya Janata Dal one.
Seven members did not attend the meeting, including three JMM MLAs. Four others absentees were from the Congress, with three out of them being in Kolkata due to their bail conditions after they were arrested with cash earlier this month. One Congress legislator skipped the meeting on health grounds.
At the meeting, the chief minister tried to boost the morale of the legislators, a legislator said on condition of anonymity.
“The discussion was largely on how the government has been able to run smoothly and has completed around 30 months. CM reminded the legislators how the BJP has been making efforts to destabilise the government through various means, but he has been able to thwart their efforts. He underlined the government would complete its term if the legislators remain intact,” the legislator said.
The Election Commission on Thursday sent its recommendation to Governor Ramesh Bais on a plea seeking Soren’s disqualification as an MLA for violating electoral norms by extending a mining lease to himself.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, the petitioner in the case, has sought Soren’s disqualification for violating Section 9(A) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which deals with disqualification for government contracts.
Congress legislature party leader and rural development minister Alamgir Alam said the MLAs have been directed to stay in Ranchi for the next few days. “We are watching the developments closely and are intact to face any consequences,” he said.
At the evening meeting, meanwhile, the discussions were centered around ensuring the “flock sticks together”.
“Even if the fear of legislators doing something fishy is ruled out, there is a sense of uncertainty over when the Governor would give his decision. The back-to-back meetings ate a way to ensure the flock sticks together,” a JMM leader privy to the meetings said.
As political uncertainty continued in the state, there was speculation whether the MLAs will be shifted to a non-BJP ruled state.
“We do not need to go anywhere. We are not the BJP,” said Congress leader Banna Gupta.
Leaders, however, said that it was being discussed.
“We are ready for all eventualities, especially what recently happened in case of Congress legislators (three were arrested with cash in Kolkata). We have options to go to Hyderabad, Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu,” a senior legislator said seeking anonymity.
Following the day’s developments, Jharkhand BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo said the unease in the ruling camp surprised the opposition.
“Our agenda is clear. We filed our complaint against one MLA who happens to be the chief minister. But we are surprised with the unease in the ruling camp. Why are they so worried about their government and making allegations of us trying to topple their government when they themselves claim to have a brute majority,” Shahdeo asked.
Officials in the Raj Bhawan said the final notification in the matter is likely to be issued by the EC. “Based on the recommendation of the ECI, the Governor would release his order and send it back to the ECI, which in turn would issue a notification to that effect. The notification would be communicated to the concerned through the state CEO, who would also inform the assembly Speaker,” a senior official said.
Independent political observer Sudhir Pal said while the ECI opinion is important it is up to the Governor to take the final call. “Since the BJP has also raised this issue to be a case of corruption besides a case of office of profit, we should wait and watch of the Governor takes cognisance and come.up with an order which is more than mere disqualification,” added Pal.
