The MLAs of Jharkhand’s ruling JMM-Congress-RJD alliance, kept in Hyderabad since Friday, have reached Ranchi ahead of tomorrow’s crucial floor test of the Champai Soren government. The MLAs were shifted to Hyderabad following concerns over possible Operation Lotus by the opposition BJP ahead of the general election.
The MLAs landed at Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Airport in a chartered flight and were taken to the Circuit House in the city in two buses, reported news agency Press Trust of India.
The MLAs were shifted as veteran Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Champai Soren took oath on Friday. Efforts to shift them on Thursday night failed because of inclement weather.
The ruling alliance has 47 MLAs in the 81-member house, where the majority mark is 41. Currently 43 MLAs are backing Champai Soren.
The BJP has 25 MLAs and the AJSU, or All Jharkhand Students Union, has three. The NCP and a Left party have one each and there are three independent MLAs.
The slim majority has given rise to concern. The leaders have been insisting they have the numbers to form government even before t7he arrest of Hemant Soren, which took place on Wednesday evening.
“We have submitted the report (to the Governor) with 43 MLAs in our support. We expect the number will reach 46-47… so there is no problem. Our ‘gathbandhan’, or alliance, is very strong,” Champai Soren has said.
There is a buzz that two JMM MLAs can skip the voting, which is expected to bring down the majority mark. The assembly elections in the state are due in October-November.
The current political crisis in Jharkhand started with the arrest of former Chief Minister Hemant Soren by the Enforcement Directorate in an alleged money laundering case linked to a land scam.
