VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, Aug 19: As the Election Commission of India is likely to pass a final order regarding the office of the profit case of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren soon, the state Congress has directed its MLAs to stay in Jharkhand. They have been asked to preferably stay in Ranchi.
“The ECI will submit its report to the Governor and I fear the judgment may trigger a political crisis as the BJP is adamant to ensure disqualification of the Chief Minister on flimsy grounds. All of us know what is happening in Jharkhand and how the BJP is haunting him and the government through central machineries. If the CM is disqualified we will have to soon hold a legislative party meeting to elect the leader. In such a situation it is a must for MLAs to remain present in Ranchi,” said a senior Congress leader.
But the insiders of the UPA alliance said that the office of the profit case is not the only concern the alliance has been facing. “The problem lies with the Congress party as well since the party has become an easy meat for the BJP which is allegedly trying to poach its MLAs. Three of its MLAs were arrested along with cash in Kolkata. When the BJP has launched a massive operation to topple the Hemant Soren led JMM-Congress-RJD government and particularly targeted the Congress MLAs, we need to be careful,” said a senior leader of the alliance.
Even the chief minister is aware that the matter of his disqualification may lead to a deep crisis and no wonder the ECI may give its opinion for his disqualification for getting a stone mine lease in his name while he was the chief minister as well as the minister of the forest and environment.
He is going to hold the legislative party meeting of the ruling alliance at his residence tomorrow. All the MLAs have been asked to attend the meeting. “The chief minister will spell out the agenda of the meeting. But we have been told that this meeting is very important and we can guess why it is important. People are just speculating that the order will be adverse and it will escalate a crisis on multiple fronts,” said an MLA of the ruling alliance.
