MANISH GUPTA
Ranchi, Aug 26: JMM General Secretary Vinod Kumar Pandey on Friday said that there was and is no danger on Hemant Soren’s government even as Chief Minister Hemant Soren held a meeting of the ministers and MLAs of the ruling alliance of JMM, Congress and RJD at his official residence.
As people wait for Governor Ramesh Bais to announce the judgement on the office-of-profit case that may disqualify Soren, Pandey said that Soren’s government is completely safe as the ruling alliance has full majority. The government will continue to be led by Soren and that they can show the support of more than 50 MLAs any time, he added.
It is learnt that ECI sent its report on the office-of-profit case on Hemant Soren related to securing a stone quarry mining lease in Ranchi district while he was the Chief Minister and Mines Minister. Under the rules, Soren may lose his membership of the Jharkhand assembly and thus the post of Chief Minister.
Coming out from the meeting Congress Legislature Party leader in Jharkhand Alamgir Alam said that they have not received any notice regarding the Election Commission of India (ECI) report sent to the Governor and if required the three Congress MLAs caught up in the cash seizure case can be called to Ranchi.
Congress MLA and Health Minister Banna Gupta said that all the MLAs of the coalition are standing in strong support of Hemant Soren and that they would fight all kinds of politics being played against the ruling government. He said that the alliance will have another meeting of the legislatures in the evening.
Gupta also rejected BJP Godda MP Nishikant Dubey’s morning statement that all JMM MLAs are being ferried to Chhattisgarh in three buses. He said that there is no need to go to West Bengal or Chhattisgarh. All will remain in Ranchi and work out a solution. Meanwhile, JMM leader Supriyo Bhattacharya said that 16 BJP MLAs are in touch with the JMM.
Legal experts say that it is unlikely that Hemant Soren will be barred from contesting the election as the provision Section 9 of The Representation of The People (RP) Act, 1951, only allows for disqualification. For barring him from contesting elections, the matter of corruption will have to be decided by the court and not the Governor.
Sources in Raj Bhawan inform that the Governor is taking legal consultation on the ECI report and may announce the judgement by evening.
