Jharkhand: Guv to take call on CM Hemant Soren’s exit today

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Ranchi, Aug 27:
The
Jharkhand
Governor
Ramesh
Bais
is
expected
to
take
a
call
today
on
the
Election
Commission’s
recommendation
on
the
disqualification
of
CM
Hemant
Soren
as
an
MLA
for
holding
an
office
of
profit
in
connection
with
a
mining
lease
case.
Soren
is
accused
of
violating
electoral
norms
by
extending
a
mining
lease
to
himself.

No
conclusion
came
out
of
the
meeting
among
Jharkhand’s
ruling
coalition
members
that
was
held
on
Friday
evening
at
the
residence
of
Chief
Minister
Hemant
Soren.
Hectic
parleys
have
been
taking
place
in
the
state
amid
intense
speculation
that
Jharkhand
CM
Soren
could
lose
his
assembly
membership
over
a
mining
lease
case.

In
the
rapidly
changing
political
scenario,
‘resort
politics’ could
come
into
play
to
keep
the
numbers
intact.
A
few
insiders
from
the
Congress,
a
member
of
the
ruling
coalition,
said
that
ring-fencing
of
MLAs
by
parking
them
in
a
resort
located
in
a
‘friendly
state’
such
as
West
Bengal
or
Bihar
was
one
of
the
options
mulled
to
prevent
poaching.
Rural
Development
and
Parliamentary
Affairs
Minister
Alamgir
Alam,
however,
said
the
“MLAs
of
the
ruling
alliance
cannot
be
poached
and
will
stay
in
Ranchi”.

The
Election
Commission
of
India
had
on
Thursday
sent
its
opinion
to
the
Governor
on
a
plea
seeking
that
Soren
be
disqualified
as
MLA
for
violating
electoral
norms
by
extending
a
mining
lease
to
himself.

What
is
in
store
if
Soren
is
disqualified:
The
numbers
explained

Earlier,
JMM
exuded
confidence
that
Hemant
Soren
will
remain
the
chief
minister
till
2024
amidst
the
disqualification
row.
The
party
also
said
it
will
move
to
the
Supreme
Court
if
Soren
is
disqualified
as
an
MLA.

The
ruling
coalition
has
49
MLAs
in
the
81-member
Jharkhand
Assembly.
The
JMM,
as
the
largest
party,
has
30
MLAs,
the
Congress
18
legislators,
and
the
RJD
one.
The
main
opposition
BJP
has
26
MLAs
in
the
House.

Hemant
Soren’s
office
noted
that
the
Governor’s
office
has
not
sent
any
communication
in
regards
to
disqualification.
“Received
no
communication
by
the
Chief
Minister’s
Office
from
either
the
Election
Commission
or
Governor
Ramesh
Bais.
It
seems
that
BJP
leaders,
including
a
BJP
MP,
and
his
puppet
journalists
have
themselves
drafted
the
EC
report,
which
is
otherwise
always
given
in
a
sealed
cover,”
Soren
said
in
a
statement
issued
by
his
secretariat.