Jharkhand Alliance Leaders Express Shock Over CM Hemant Soren's Disqualification As MLAs Meet Governor

Amid the uncertainty surrounding the continuance of Hemant Soren as chief minister of Jharkhand, a JMM delegation is scheduled to meet Governor Ramesh Bais at 4 pm, a Raj Bhavan source said.

"The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’s request letter to meet the governor has been received. The delegation has been given time to meet at 4 pm," said the source.

JMM spokesperson Vinod Kumar Pandey later told reporters that a delegation of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) coalition will meet Bais at the designated time.

The alliance, comprising the JMM, Congress and RJD has 49 MLAs in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, and is supported from outside by a lone CPIML (L) legislator. 

Delegation Expresses Shock Over Leaks On CM's disqualification as MLA

A UPA delegation on Thursday told Governor Bais that it was shocked over "selective leaks" on Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s disqualification as a legislator.

The UPA delegation, in a representation to Bais, said such leaks created chaos, confusion and uncertainty.

It also asked the governor to clear the confusion over the ECI ruling on the matter.

The delegation said that speculations on Soren's fate has encouraged the destablisation of a democratically elected government.

It asserted that disqualification of the CM as MLA will not affect the government, as the ruling JMM-Congress-RJD coalition enjoys an absolute majority in the 81-member House.

Following a petition by the BJP seeking Soren's disqualification from the assembly in an office of profit case, the Election Commission has sent its decision to Bais on August 25.

Though the EC's decision is not yet made official, there was a buzz that the poll panel has recommended the chief minister’s disqualification as an MLA. The Raj Bhavan did not announce anything on this matter since then.

(With PTI inputs)