A 10-member delegation of United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in Jharkhand on Thursday met Governor Ramesh Bais seeking clarification over commotion on reports of “disqualification” of Chief Minister Hemant Soren as member of State Assembly. The meeting comes ahead of a State Cabinet to decide on a special session of the State Assembly on September 5.
The delegation comprised leaders from Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress. The delegation met Governor Ramesh Bais amid political uncertainty prevailing in the State over Hemant Soren’s continuation a Chief Minister since August 25. The UPA delegation also submitted a memorandum to the Governor complaining that “leaks” from his [the Governor] office regarding an envelope from Election Commission of India over disqualification of Mr. Soren’s membership from the State Assembly has been causing commotion. In their memorandum the delegation members further requested Governor to “clear the air” over prevailing political commotion.
EDITORIAL: On uncertainty over Jharkhand CM continuation
“The purported selective leads from your Excellency’s office are creating chaos, confusion and uncertainty which vitiate the working of administration and governance of the state. This also encourages political brinkmanship to destabilize the democratically elected government led by Hemant Soren by illegal means”, said the memorandum submitted to the Governor. The letter further requested the Governor to make public the “opinion (if any) received from the Election Commission of India”.
“The Chief Minister is not resigning. The Governor is seeking legal opinion and has assured that the situation will be made clear within two days”, working state president of Congress party Bandhu Tirkey told media persons after meeting the Governor while, adding, “we also questioned how selective information is being leaked to media from his office. He (Governor) assured us that the sources are not in his office”.
However, when the UPA delegation was meeting Governor at Raj Bhawan, a few kilometers away the Chief Minister Hemant Soren was having Cabinet meeting with Ministers at Parivartan Bhawan amid buzz that he would put in his papers as Chief Minister.
Return to Ranchi
Earlier on August 31, some of the UPA Ministers and leaders who recently had flown off to a resort in Raipur, Chhattisgarh had returned to Ranchi to attend the Cabinet meeting. As many as 31 UPA MLAs had flown to Raipur to stay at Mayfair resort for two days allegedly amid looming fear of poaching by opposition BJP. Days back, on August 27, they also were bused to a guest house in Khunti district for four-five hours before returning to the State capital by late evening.
The BJP has been demanding Chief Minister Hemant Soren should step down on “moral grounds” and a mid-term poll to be held in the State in view of the profit-of-cash case registered against Mr. Soren. The said Mr. Soren should “face disqualification as an MLA” allegedly for violating electoral laws by extending a stone mining lease to himself while holding the Mines portfolio.
The Opposition BJP had lodged complaint with the Governor in February this year against Mr. Soren and the Governor had sought opinion from Election Commission of India on the issue. On August 25, the EC reportedly had sent its opinion on the issue to the Governor in a sealed envelope. The BJP leaders, later, triggered row by saying that ECI has recommended “disqualification of Mr. Soren as member of the State Assembly”. It was feared that Mr Soren had to step down as Chief Minister of the State.
Meanwhile, after seeing off the UPA MLAs at the Birsa Munda airport, CM Hemant Soren told media persons, “we’re preparing a strategy to tackle the situation and you’ve seen a glimpse of that very strategy today. In future too you’ll be seeing all this”.
