Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Aug 25: The fate of the Jharkhand government hangs in balance on Thursday following reports that the Election Commission of India has recommended to the governor Ramesh Bais to disqualify the chief minister Hemant Soren from the membership of the state Assembly for alleged violation of the Representation of the People’s Act for holding a stone chips mining lease in his name.
Though there was no communication from the Raj-Bhavan so far, the media reports abuzz that the ECI recommendation had reached the Raj-Bhavan on Thursday afternoon and the election authority had approved his qualification holding an office-of-profit with the government while occupying the chief minister’s chair.
Soren on Thursday alleged blatant misuse of constitutional authorities and public agencies after reports. The ECI move came after Bais sought its opinion over a complaint received from the state opposition BJP that Soren allegedly holds an office-of-profit by getting a stone chips mining lease in his name.
Taking to Twitter, Soren shared a video of several Jharkhand Police personnel thanking him with chants of “Hemant Soren Zindabad” after the state cabinet passed a proposal to approve compensatory leaves for them.
Soren wrote that one can buy constitutional institutions, but cannot do the same with public support. “This affection of thousands of our hardworking policemen of Jharkhand and the support of the people is my strength. We are ready! Hail Jharkhand,” his tweet, loosely translated from Hindi, read.
Some pictures were shared by Soren’s office as well that mentioned 70,000 police personnel thanking the chief minister for the cabinet decision.
Earlier in the day, Soren’s party Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) held a press conference to counter the allegations against the chief minister. Addressing the press briefing, JMM MP Vijay Kumar Hansdak said a “conspiracy is underway to destabilise the government of Jharkhand.”
He added that some “forces” are unable to tolerate the work done in the state under Soren’s rule. “We will continue to serve the people in the state. Their every conspiracy will be exposed. JMM will continue to work for the development of Jharkhand,” Hansdak said.
“It apparently seems that BJP leaders including a BJP MP and his puppet journalists have themselves drafted the ECI report, which is otherwise a sealed cover report. This blatant misuse of constitutional authorities and public agencies and its complete takeover by BJP HQ in Deendayal Upadhyay Marg in this shameful manner is unseen in Indian Democracy,” the statement said.
The BJP is already demanding mid-term polls “on moral grounds”. But Soren’s Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and partner Congress are confident “the government will remain in place”.
“We definitely want Hemant Soren to remain the chief minister. We have the strength,” said Alamgir Alam, leader of the Congress Legislature Party, when asked if a new face would be put up if Soren is disqualified, or if Soren will take a fresh oath and re-contest if he loses his assembly membership. “Let the Governor decide. The CM told me he hasn’t yet got any communication about the sealed report. We are working on our strategy.”
In the 82-member assembly, the JMM (30) and Congress (17) have 47 members — just above the majority mark — besides support from some others. The BJP is main Opposition with 25 members. But the government was already spooked when three JMM MLAs were recently caught with ₹ 50 lakh cash in neighbouring Bengal — leading to allegations that the BJP is “using money to topple the government”. The BJP has denied those allegations: “The JMM-Congress government is crumbling under its own corruption.”
The Governor had referred the matter of Soren’s disqualification to the Election Commission, as required under Article 192 of the Constitution, after the BJP said the chief minister violated Section 9A of the Representation of the People Act by doing business with the government.
Law says the Governor is bound by the opinion of the EC, which functions as a quasi-judicial body in such matters. That opinion is in now, so a decision is expected anytime. The Governor was out of town but returned on Thursday afternoon.