VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, Feb.24: The budget session of the Jharkhand assembly is set to start from February 25 in the backdrop of the bitterness between the ruling alliance partners—the JMM and the Congress—and the BJP opposition is ready to corner Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
Only two days back, Congress leader and Health Minister Banna Gupta at the Chintan Shivir of the party made serious allegations against the chief minister.
Another minister from the Congress quota, Alamgir Alam, complained against the chief minister for not taking Congress ministers in the decision-making process. The rest of the MLAs and leaders also did not utter anything nice about the performance of the government.
There is no mood of upbeat in the JMM-led ruling alliance and the spirit of the collective fight is missing. “There is no party tonight,” said a senior Congress MLA when asked how the ruling alliance plans to demolish the BJP barricading the government.
The chief minister has not called the customary dinner meeting of MLAs of the alliance partners ahead of the budget session. Covid 19 pandemic can’t be used as an excuse if Hemant Soren has decided not to invite alliance partners for supper. This session is going to be a month-long affair and the BJP has planned to hit the government and the chief minister politically and personally.
There is a thinking in the Congress camp that the party must draw a line of defence and offense via the BJP. That means if the BJP raises an issue related to the personal conduct of the chief minister and his JMM minister, Congress may not be seen on the front foot to save them. The Congress differs from the JMM on key issues like the recent language controversy. Congress fears that being the partner of the JMM in the government, it will have to pay a heavy price in the coming days.
“Today’s cabinet meeting is important. We will decide our further move only after that. There are certain policy matters like language policy and what we usually hear about a proposed liquor policy we are firmly opposed to,” said the Congress MLA.
The chief minister and his backroom managers are aware that the BJP will storm the house by accusing him of obtaining the mining lease in his name by misusing his office. There is a sense of nervousness in the JMM camp since there is no convincing answer to prove that the CM has not done anything wrong. The likelihood of the controversy triggering legal trouble for the CM can’t be ruled out.
BJP’s Babulal Marandi will show his cards on the floor of the house. He refused to disclose precisely what his party is going to raise. “The conduct of Hemant Soren and his government is an open secret. So, you can assume what else we are going to raise. Tomorrow, the Governor will deliver his address. On February 27 we called the legislative body meeting. This time we have invited MPs also to attend the legislative body meeting to decide issues,” said Marandi.
The month-long budget session will conclude on March 25, with 17 working days. The main budget will be placed on March 3.
