Amid poaching fears, 38 MLAs of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led coalition ‘Mahagathbandhan’ in Jharkhand have been flown down from Ranchi to Hyderabad in Congress-ruled Telangana. The legislators are going to stay at a private resort in Shamirpet, on the city’s outskirts, till the time a floor test is held at the Jharkhand assembly.
A senior leader of the ruling coalition said in Ranchi that the decision to shift the legislators to Hyderabad was taken considering that the opposition BJP may make attempts to “poach” them.
“We were given 10 days to prove the government’s majority. We can’t take any chance during the period as the BJP might try to contact our MLAs,” the senior leader said.
Floor Test Soon
JMM’s Champai Soren, who took oath as Jharkhand Chief Minister on Friday, will have to prove his majority in a floor test in the assembly session to be held on February 5 and February 6.
Jharkhand was plunged into uncertainty after JMM executive president leader Hemant Soren resigned as chief minister on Wednesday night, shortly before he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case linked to an alleged land fraud.
Despite Champai being immediately elected as JMM legislative party leader and staking claim after Hemant’s resignation, governor CP Radhakrishnan did not invite him to form the new government till late Thursday night. This led to speculation to swirl about possible “poaching” by the BJP.
Sending MLAs to Hyderabad Part of ‘Strategy’
“We have submitted to the governor the signature of 43 MLAs (two more than the majority mark), but we now have the support of 47 MLAs and this will be proved during the floor test on February 5. Sending the MLAs to Hyderabad is part of our strategy to counter the BJP.” Champai Soren told reporters after taking the oath.
These MLAs are likely to stay at ‘Leonia Holistic Destination’ at Shamirpet till February 4 and could leave for Ranchi on February 5 for the floor test in the Jharkhand Assembly.
Rahul’s ‘Nyay Yatra’ In Jharkhand
Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, with his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra also reached Jharkhand on Friday. He was accorded a warm welcome in Jharkhand’s Pakur with newly appointed Chief Minister Champai Soren also present on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, Gandhi said the BJP tried to destabilise the Jharkhand government elected by the people but the INDIA bloc stood up against its “conspiracy” and did not let it “steal the popular mandate”,
“The BJP once again tried to steal and destabilise a government which had been elected by the people of Jharkhand. The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) stood up against the BJP’s conspiracy and did not let it steal the popular mandate”, he said.
He also alleged the BJP has “money power and probe agencies” but he and the Congress are not scared of them and will keep on fighting against the ruling party’s “divisive ideology”.
The former Congress president said that while the earlier Bharat Jodo Yatra was against the “divisive agenda” of the RSS and the BJP, the current yatra is seeking justice for the people of the country.
The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will be in Jharkhand for eight days in two phases and cover 13 districts.
After a night halt at Littipara in Pakur, the Yatra resumed from Sarkanda Chowk in Godda district on Saturday morning, according to Congress spokesperson Rakesh Sinha.
Gandhi will visit the ancient temple in Deoghar dedicated to Lord Shiva around 2.30 pm and offer prayers. Later, he will lead a roadshow in the district and also address a public meeting. The Yatra will then proceed to Dhanbad where the participants will camp for the night.
The night halt has been planned at Halkata in the Tundi block of Dhanbad, Sinha said.
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