MLAs of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led UPA coalition in Jharkhand were moved to Raipur in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday to prvent the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from poaching its MLAs in an attempt to topple the government.
UPA MLAs reached Raipur in a chartered flight from Ranchi. The flight carrying 40 MLAs had taken off from Ranchi shortly after 4:30 pm. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren had accomponied the MLAs to the airport and visuals of their movement had surfaced on the internet.
"This is not a surprising move. It happens in politics. We are ready to face any situation," said Soren after coming out of the airport.
The development comes amid uncertainty over Soren's membership of the state assembly as he faces possible disqualification in an office of profit case. The JMM-led coalition was deliberating over parking MLAs in a "safe state" like West Bengal or Chhattisgarh for days. A series of meetings had been organised in recent days, including one earlier on Tuesday.
Soren’s JMM believes that the BJP may make a serious attempt to poach MLAs from it and from the Congress in a bid to topple the government in a manner “similar to Maharashtra” and there is a need to ringfence the legislators in a “safe haven”.
Soren is facing possible disqualification as an MLA for violating electoral norms by extending a mining lease to himself. 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 issue was referred to the governor and by him to 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 (EC) and shall act according to such opinion".
The EC sent its decision to Governor Ramesh Bais on August 25. Though it has not been made public, it has been reported earlier that the EC has recommended Soren's disqualification.
(With PTI inputs)
