After six days of political drama, MLAs of the ruling UPA in Jharkhand returned home following the special session of the assembly where the Hemant Soren government won a confidence vote.
The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) took its MLAs to a resort in Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh on August 30 amid apprehension that the BJP may attempt to poach the legislators in a bid to topple the government.
They returned to Ranchi on Sunday evening to attend the special session of the assembly but stayed the night at the Circuit House here. After winning the confidence vote in the Assembly on Monday, the MLAs moved back to the Circuit House in buses and had lunch with the chief minister.
"After lunch, we went to our residences," Congress legislator Deepika Pandey Singh told PTI. JMM MLA Mathura Prasad Mahto and Congress' Shilpi Neha Tirkey also echoed Singh. Asked if there is any plan to go back to Raipur again, Tirkey replied in the negative.
The political crisis in the state began late last month. Following a petition by the BJP seeking Soren's disqualification from the assembly in an office of profit case, the Election Commission (EC) sent its decision to Governor Ramesh Bais on August 25.
Though the EC's decision has not yet been made public, there is a buzz that the poll panel has recommended the chief minister's disqualification as an MLA. In a joint statement on August 28, UPA constituents had accused Bais of encouraging political horse-trading by "deliberately delaying" announcing the decision.
After a meeting with the UPA MLAs on September 1 on the issue, the governor went to Delhi on Friday, triggering further speculation. Raj Bhavan sources had said it was a 'personal visit' for a medical check-up. Bais is yet to return to Ranchi.
Asked what they did during their five-day stay in a luxury resort in Nava Raipur, Deepika Pandey Singh said some work for her constituency Mahagama was done over the phone. "But there were some issues for which my physical presence was required. I cannot stay away from the people of my constituency for a long time," she said.
Mahto said they had not gone there for a picnic. "So, what experience should I share? Ask the BJP people about such things, they are experienced," he said.
(With PTI inputs)
