Resort politics is back – this time it’s in Jharkhand. The state has plunged into a political crisis, after the Election Commission of India, reportedly, recommended the disqualification of Chief Minister Hemant Soren in the office-of-profit case.
It is the third state in as many months that is witnessing political upheavals. The other two – Maharashtra and Bihar – witnessed a realignment of alliances, and new governments being installed.
Amid the deepening political crisis in Jharkhand due to uncertainty over Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s fate as an MLA, the ruling legislators were shifted to Khunti, around 30 km from capital Ranchi, on Saturday afternoon in an apparent attempt to thwart any possible attempts of poaching by the opposition.
Soren and the legislators of the ruling JMM-Congress-RJD coalition were seen leaving the chief minister’s residence on three buses. Earlier, reports had claimed that the MLAs were being shifted to a “friendly state”, which could either be West Bengal or Chhattisgarh. Both states have non-BJP governments.
However, State Rural Development and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Alamgir Alam claimed that the MLAs were going for a “picnic” at Moments Resort in Latratu in Khunti district. Earlier, Soren held the third round of meeting with the legislators at his residence in the wake of the rapidly changing political scenario in the state.
The ECI sent its opinion to Governor Ramesh Bais on August 25 on a plea seeking that Soren be disqualified as an MLA for violating electoral norms by extending a mining lease to himself. The Raj Bhavan sources said the governor may take a call by evening on the ECI views on “disqualification” of the chief minister as an MLA and send the disqualification order to the commission.
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, the largest party, has 30 MLAs, the Congress 18 legislators, and the RJD one. The main opposition BJP has 26 MLAs in the House.
