RANCHI: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren appeared to be on his way out on Thursday as the Election Commission of India (ECI) is understood to have recommended his disqualification as a legislator to Governor Ramesh Bais. Raj Bhavan, however, did not officially confirm the receipt of the ECI’s report.
Section 9A of the Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1951 bars lawmakers from entering into any contract with the government for the supply of goods or execution of works undertaken by it. Yet, Soren brazenly granted himself a stone mining lease, which put him in big trouble.
Under Article 192 of the Constitution, the governor can take his call on an MLA’s disqualification only after seeking the poll panel’s view. There was speculation right through the day as Governor Ramesh Bais arrived in the city but was evasive.
“I was in AIIMS, Delhi for two days. I will be in a position to make a decision only when I reach Raj Bhavan,” he said at the airport.
Till the time of filing this report, the JMM hadn’t received any communication from the governor indicating his decision on the matter, keeping the party on tenterhooks. The day began with BJP MP Nishikant Dubey claiming the ECI had recommended Soren’s disqualification in the office-for-profit case. The JMM hit back, demanding Dubey’s disqualification.
Amid the swirling uncertainty, the JMM called its legislature party meeting on Friday to deal with the emerging situation. If Soren is disqualified, it will not only push him out of power but also increase instability in the government at a time when the BJP is allegedly waiting to poach lawmakers from the ruling coalition.
While the JMM went ballistic against the BJP, a senior leader admitted, “There is an inherent danger that the ECI would also debar Soren from contesting any election for a certain time period.” In such a situation, either Soren’s wife Kalpana or JMM patriarch Shibu Soren could be the successor, he added. Parallelly, the JMM leadership was preparing for a legal challenge.
On February 10, a BJP delegation gave the governor a memorandum demanding the disqualification of Soren. Taking cognizance of it, the governor forwarded the matter to the poll panel for its opinion.