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Ranchi, August 26
In the midst of intense speculation about the political fate of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, whose assembly membership hangs in balance over a mining lease case, the state’s ruling coalition members gathered for a second meeting on Friday evening at his home.
According to sources close to the ruling UPA, strategies were being chalked out at the meeting to ensure that there was no threat to the government.
A few insiders from the Congress, which is a crucial ally of the JMM-led ruling coalition here, told PTI on the condition of anonymity that “ring-fencing” MLAs by parking them in a resort in a “friendly state” such as West Bengal, Bihar or Chhattisgarh is being considered as an option to avoid legislator poaching by the BJP.
However, they said, a decision on the future course of action can be taken once Governor Ramesh Bais communicates to them the Election Commission’s opinion on the possible disqualification of the Soren as an MLA for allegedly violating electoral norms by extending himself a mining lease.
Sources in the Raj Bhavan had on Thursday claimed that the EC recommended Soren’s disqualification as an MLA, but there is no official confirmation as yet.
Amid the rapidly changing political scenario, the sources on Friday said that Bais is likely to send disqualification order to the Election Commission (EC) on Saturday.
Soren, who was in Latehar to attend a programme, lashed out at Centre, during the day, for “unleashing” all constitutional agencies to “de-stabilise a democratically elected government”.
The JMM executive president said “satanic forces” were all out to execute evil designs.
In a tweet, he later said, “The Centre has unleashed all agencies on me after I asked for legitimate Rs 1.36 lakh crore dues which are pending to the state. When they saw that they cannot harm me, they are trying to harass ‘Guruji’ (Shibu Soren), who is in a certain age bracket, to get to me.” The BJP, 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.
The clause states that “a person shall be disqualified if, and for so long as, there subsists a contract entered into by him in the course of his trade or business with the appropriate government for the supply of goods to, or for the execution of any works undertaken by, that government”.
The issue was referred to the governor and by him to the EC, as Article 192 of the Constitution states that on rulings regarding an MLA’s disqualification, the question shall be referred to the governor who in turn “shall obtain the opinion of the Election Commission and shall act according to such opinion”.
The ruling coalition has 49 MLAs in the 81-member 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.
The coalition partners had on Thursday claimed that there was no threat to the government.
The JMM had exuded confidence that Soren will remain as the chief minister till 2024.
The party also said it will move the Supreme Court if Soren is disqualified as an MLA.
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