Amid political uncertainty over reports that Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren could be disqualified as an MLA, nearly 31 MLAs and ministers of the ruling coalition have reached Chhattisgarh’s capital Raipur.
The legislators went to Raipur in an apparent effort by the Chief Minister to keep its flock together. The ruling coalition in Jharkhand includes JMM, Congress and RJD. Sources said those who went to Raipur include 13 from Congress including four ministers and 18 MLAs of JMM. They said that ministers belonging to JMM did not go.
Soren told reporters at the Ranchi airport that the ruling alliance is prepared to face every situation. “No unforeseen incident is going to take place. We are ready for everything, the situation is under our control. I will let you know if I will also go with the MLAs,” he said.
He said action is taken according to a strategy. “You will see how nicely the ruling alliance gives reply to a conspiracy,” Soren said.
Hemant Soren’s possible disqualification as an MLA from the state assembly for allegedly violating poll norms by extending a mining lease to himself has been circulating in the political circle. The Chief Minister’s office on Thursday released a statement after speculation that the ECI has sent a report to the state Governor about Soren’s disqualification. In the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, the ruling alliance has 30 MLAs of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), 18 MLAs of the Congress and one MLA of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).