Jharkhand’s ruling coalition MLAs to be back in Ranchi ahead of trust vote
As many as 37 MLAs of the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led coalition have departed for their home state on a special flight from Hyderabad ahead of the floor test in the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly scheduled to take place on Monday, sources told India Today TV.
The legislators of JMM and Congress were camped at a resort in Shamiret on the outskirts of Hyderabad on Friday following the arrest of Hemant Soren by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam.
The Jharkhand legislators, who arrived in Hyderabad on February 2 in chartered flights, reached the airport in the evening and left for Ranchi, sources said.
The MLAs were flown to Telangana capital amid the coalition’s fears that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may attempt to “poach” them in the run-up to the trust vote.
Separate dining arrangements, police personnel to guard the rooms and several other arrangements were in place to ‘protect’ the legislators of Jharkhand against ‘poaching ‘efforts, sources told news agency PTI.
“We were given 10 days to prove the government’s majority. We cannot take any chance during the period as the BJP might try to contact our MLAs,” a senior leader of the ruling coalition said.
CHIEF MINISTER REVIEWS LAW & ORDER
Meanwhile, Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren reviewed the law and order situation in the state ahead of the trust vote in the Assembly. According to reports, Champai Soren chaired a high-level meeting with Chief Secretary L Khiangte, DGP Ajay Kumar Singh and other senior officers.
Tight security arrangements have been put in place in Ranchi ahead of the crucial floor test.
Former Chief Minister Hemant Soren will also take place in the trust vote. Hemant Soren would be brought to Jharkhand Assembly by Enforcement Directorate officials amidst heavy security.
RAHUL GANDHI’S YATRA TO ENTER JHARKHAND
Amid the floor test in the Vidhan Sabha, Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ is also set to enter Jharkhand on Monday. The Congress scion is scheduled to address a public rally in Ranchi tomorrow.
Consequently, traffic restrictions will be enforced in Ranchi until 12 pm to facilitate the smooth conduct of these events.
JHARKHAND TRUST VOTE
The newly-formed Champai Soren government in Jharkhand will seek a trust vote in the Assembly on Monday. He took over as the Chief Minister shortly after JMM acting president Hemant Soren was arrested by the probe agency on January 31.
According to sources, the special Assembly session is scheduled to commence at 11 am, marking the beginning of the new government’s tenure, with the Governor CP Radhakrishnan delivering the inaugural speech.
Hemant Soren has been sent to five-day Enforcement Directorate custody. However, a special court has allowed the former Chief Minister to take part in the trust vote in the state Assembly.
The ruling coalition in Jharkhand has claimed the support of 43 legislators in the 81-member state Assembly.