Jharkhand Pol Crisis: Buses Carrying MLAs Seen Leaving CM Soren’s Residence

Amid the political crisis in Jharkhand, buses carrying MLAs of the ruling coalition were seen leaving the residence of Chief Minister Hemant Soren in Ranchi on Saturday afternoon.

The decision to move the legislators was taken after a UPA meeting following reports that CM Soren could be disqualified as an MLA.

In the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, the ruling alliance has 30 MLAs of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), 18 MLAs of the Congress and one MLA of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

CM Soren on Friday denied receiving any communication from the Election Commission of India or Governor Ramesh Bais on the statements about the poll body "recommending his disqualification as an MLA."

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The Chief Minister's office released a statement on Thursday after several media reports speculated that the ECI has sent a report to the Governor about Soren's disqualification.

"The Chief Minister is apprised of several media reports about ECI sending a report to Honorable Governor -Jharkhand 'apparently recommending his disqualification as an MLA'. No communication in this regard has been received by CMO from either ECI or Governor," read the statement.

Soren has alleged that the EC report was "drafted" by the principal opposition party in Jharkhand, BJP with its 25 MLAs, to topple the Jharkhand government, a Times Now report stated.

The trail of events gained pace after Nishikant Dubey, BJP Member of Parliament from Godda, Jharkhand, tweeted that a letter from the ECI has reached the Raj Bhavan.

The BJP has sought the disqualification of Soren as an MLA accusing him of allocating a mining lease to himself while he held the portfolio of Mines Minister in 2021. In February this year the BJP submitted a memorandum to the Governor seeking disqualification of Soren from the House under Section 9(A) of the Representation of People's Act.

The Governor had forwarded BJP complaint to the ECI and the poll panel in May had issued a notice to the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader.

The hearing in the Hemant Soren mine leasing case was concluded in the ECI on Monday.

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