No threat to Hemant Soren government, says JMM

Ranchi: The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha has claimed that there was no threat to the present Hemant Soren government of the state.

JMM General Secretary Vinod Kumar Pandey on Friday said that there was and is no danger to Hemant Soren’s government even as the Chief Minister held a meeting of the ministers and MLAs of the ruling alliance of JMM, Congress, and RJD at his official residence earlier in the day.

Pandey said that the Soren government is completely safe as the ruling alliance has a full majority. The government will continue to be led by Soren and they can show the support of more than 50 MLAs at any time, he added.

Political temperatures have flared up in the state since the ECI sent its report on the office-of-profit case on Hemant Soren related to securing a stone quarry mining lease in Angara of Ranchi district while he was the Chief Minister and Mines Minister. Under the rules, he may lose his membership of the Jharkhand assembly and thus the post of Chief Minister.

Coming out from the meeting Congress Legislature Party leader in Jharkhand Aalamgir Alam said that they have not received any notice regarding the Election Commission of India (ECI) report sent to the Governor and if required the three Congress MLAs caught up in the cash seizure case can be called to Ranchi. 

Congress MLA and Health Minister Banna Gupta said that all the MLAs of the coalition are standing in strong support of Hemant Soren and that they would fight all kinds of politics being played against the ruling government. He said that the alliance will have another meeting of the legislatures.

Gupta also rejected BJP Godda MP Nishikant Dubey’s morning statement that all JMM MLAs are being ferried to Chhattisgarh in three buses. He said that there is no need to go to West Bengal or Chhattisgarh and all will remain in Ranchi and work out a solution. Meanwhile, JMM leader Supriyo Bhattacharya said that 16 BJP MLAs are in touch with the JMM.

Sources in Raj Bhawan informed that the Governor is taking legal consultation on the ECI report and may announce the judgment after looking at all the aspects.