Jharkhand political crisis: Ruling alliance MLAs leave for Chhattisgarh
After a "political picnic" within the state to evade horse-trading, Jharkhand's ruling alliance MLAs reportedly left for Nava Raipur in the Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh on a chartered plane from Ranchi on Tuesday evening. Meanwhile, Jharkhand Governor Ramesh Bais is yet to send his verdict on CM Hemant Soren's disqualification in the office of profit row to the Election Commission of India (ECI). Here's more.
Why does this story matter?
Jharkhand's ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) fears the Opposition could poach their MLAs and topple their government. The ECI had recommended that Governor Ramesh Bais disqualify Soren from the Assembly for illegally granting himself a stone quarry mining lease by holding an office of profit. The BJP had filed a complaint with the governor, following which he sought the ECI's opinion on the matter.
Chartered plane booked for MLAs: Reports
Reportedly, the lawmakers of the ruling alliance boarded a 72-seater IndiGo chartered plane to Chhattisgarh, where a resort has been booked for them. Since the political frenzy began on Saturday, with rumors of MLAs being moved out of the state to prevent their poaching by the Opposition, preparations were reportedly on for the arrival of lawmakers at the Mayfair Resort in Nava Raipur.
BJP demands mid-term polls in all constituencies
Meanwhile, BJP MP from Jharkhand's Godda, Nishikant Dubey, asked Soren to relinquish the CM post "on moral grounds," calling for mid-term polls in all 81 Assembly constituencies. BJP leader and ex-CM Raghubar Das accused Soren's Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) of looting the state's natural resources ever since coming to power. He said Soren should be disqualified as an MLA and debarred from contesting elections.
Ruling alliance has a comfortable majority in Assembly
The ruling alliance has 49 seats against the required majority of 41 in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly—30 members from the JMM, 18 from Congress, and one from Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). On the other hand, the chief opposition party in the state, the BJP, has 25 MLAs. Notably, in July, three Congress MLAs were arrested in Kolkata for allegedly trying to topple Soren's government.
