VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, Sept 8: Jharkhand Governor Ramesh Bais on Thursday returned to Ranchi after a weeklong stay in Delhi and now all eyes are riveted upon him as the ruling UPA alliance is anxiously waiting for his final order on the disqualification of Chief Minister Hemant Soren as the member of Jharkhand assembly.
The Raj Bhavan sources confirmed his arrival but buzzed no word on when the office of the Governor is supposed to officially make the position clear on whether or not Hemant Soren stands disqualified or disqualified along with the debarment for a certain time period. At the Birsa Munda Airport, the media unsuccessfully tried to get a statement out of him.
The BJP had lodged a complaint against Hemant Soren for getting a stone mining lease in his name in his capacity as CM and the minister of the mining department. The Governor referred this matter to the Election Commission of India (ECI). The Commission completed the hearing and communicated its decision to the Governor.
The Commission apparently sent its report on August 25. It was said that the ECI report is adverse to Hemant Soren leading to the UPA in the panic mode. Hemant Soren took his MLAs to Raipur to save them from any possible poaching by the BJP and even secured a confidence motion during a special session called for this purpose on September 5.
The Governor left for Delhi on September 2, a day after an eight-member delegation of the UPA met and requested him to ‘clear the air’ and disclose the ECI opinion on Hemant Soren that whether or not he is set to lose his membership in the assembly. The JMM led UPA drew a battle-line and charged the office of the Governor for ‘purported selective leaks on the ECI report creating “state of chaos, confusion and uncertainty, which vitiates the administration and the governance of the State.”
It was said that owing to some personal problems the Governor was in New Delhi which had nothing to do with ongoing state politics.
When contacted, JMM spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya refused to state that they expect the Governor to disclose the order.
“We welcome him. He has just arrived. So, we don’t want to bother him today,” he said.
