Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren may realign with BJP in a new political setup, as reports suggest possible defections by Congress MLAs.
Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren may realign with BJP in a new political setup, as reports suggest possible defections by Congress MLAs. (Image Credit: Moneycontrol)
NEW DELHI: The Hemant Soren–led Jharkhand INDIA bloc government is likely to witness fresh political alignments in the coming days.
As per reports coming from Ranchi, the Soren government is in talks with the BJP to join the National Democratic Alliance. Apart from this, it is also being indicated that at least eight of the 16 Congress MLAs will be switching sides and join the new political setup that will be led by Soren and the BJP.
It is understood that, in case this fresh realignment takes place, the BJP will not be joining the new alliance but will extend support from outside.
To escape the application of the anti-defection law, at least 11 of the 16 Congress MLAs would have to break away. However, the final decision on when to take a call on disqualification rests with the Speaker of the Assembly, which in this case is JMM’s Rabindra Nath Mahto.
In the House of 81 MLAs, where elections were held in November last year, the JMM has 34 MLAs while the BJP has 21.
The coming together of BJP and JMM has a precedent. After the 2009 assembly elections, the BJP had extended support to JMM after which Shibu Soren became the CM.
When contacted, All India Congress Committee Jharkhand in-charge K. Raju denied reports of Congress MLAs leaving the party.
"No one from the Congress party is leaving. All the MLAs are united with the Congress," Raju said.
Similarly, Kumar Jai Mangal, Congress MLA from Bermo, told this newspaper that there was no truth to these speculations and all the Congress MLAs are working together with CM Soren for the development of the state.
However, sources close to two of these eight Congress MLAs confirmed that the reports of the MLAs being in talks with the BJP and JMM are true and that things will become clearer within two days. Four of the eight MLAs whose names are in circulation as possible ‘rebels’ too did not respond to this newspaper’s queries.
Similarly, the JMM camp too has maintained silence, with two of its spokespersons telling this newspaper that they are not ‘in a position’ to say anything on these reports. Sources close to CM Soren, who handle media, also chose not to respond to queries.
Sources said that the central government will be conferring the Bharat Ratna on JMM founder and Hemant’s father, Shibu Soren, next year. Soren had passed away earlier this year in August.
Sources close to the ruling dispensation in Ranchi suggested that apart from expecting a more favourable response from the central government that could increase the speed of development in the state, the other consideration for Soren to join hands with the BJP is to stay away from possible legal trouble in the coming days in view of pending cases against him related to alleged corruption that is being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Under a new bill introduced in Parliament in August, and which is now being studied by a Joint Parliamentary Committee, if a Prime Minister or Chief Minister is arrested, they must resign by the 31st day or automatically cease to hold office.
