RAIPUR: Jharkhand's ruling coalition MLAs, who are staying in a resort in Chhattisgarh's capital Raipur since the last two days, on Thursday claimed an attempt was being made to destabilize their government and it was their right to protect democracy.
The MLAs of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), which consists of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), also targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying the saffron outfit should be asked why a situation has been created where they had to leave their state and come and stay in Raipur.
In Ranchi, a delegation of UPA leaders in Jharkhand told Governor Ramesh Bais that it was shocked over the "selective leaks made" from the Raj Bhavan on the Election Commission's (EC) recommendation, as speculation continued to be rife over Chief Minister Hemant Soren's disqualification as an MLA, but asserted there was no threat to the coalition government.
Four ruling coalition MLAs, Dipika Pandey, Sudivya Kumar, Bhushan Bara and Stephen Marandi -- accompanied by Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur, came out of the resort in the evening and interacted with media persons camping outside the luxurious resort since Tuesday evening.
Asked about the taunts of the BJP, the main opposition party in Jharkhand, that they were picnicking in the resort, Pandey said the saffron outfit has no right to make such statements.
"The BJP does not have a right to say such things. You (the media) are asking questions to us. Did you ask these questions in Assam when a drama was staged with the people of Maharashtra (referring to MLAs of Eknath Shinde's faction staying at a Guwahat hotel after rebellion in the Shiv Sena in June)? We have come here and staying on our own (expenses). We do not need anyone's money," she said.
"An attempt is being made to destabilize our government (in Jharkhand) which is very shameful. You should not put questions here, but instead ask questions to the Union Home Minister and the Prime Minister," Pandey said.
The UPA legislator said the Jharkhand cabinet has taken a number of pre-people decisions which has created a "festival-like" situation in the state.
"We are here but there is a festival-like situation in Ranchi and in our respective constituencies because of the decisions taken in the interest of people in today's cabinet meeting in Jharkhand," she said.
"We could not take part in their celebrations and in their grief. We all are serious and sincere MLAs. But questions should be asked to them why such a situation has unfolded (that they had come and stay in a resort in another state)," Pandey said.
Queried whether there was fear that ruling coalition MLAs will be "poached" using money, Pandey said, "If there is a threat of theft in your house, won't you strengthen its locks? If we all want to save our majority government it is our right. It is our right to protect democracy."
The JMM-Congress-RJD coalition in Jharkhand on Tuesday flew its 32 MLAs to Raipur to in a bid to thwart the BJP's possible attempt to poach them amid ongoing political crises in the state, and shifted them to the luxurious resort in Nava Raipur, local Congress sources said.
The BJP has denied any role in the latest political crisis in the tribal-dominated state.
On Wednesday, four MLAs who are also ministers flew back to Ranchi to attend Thursday's cabinet meeting, while another legislator from the Jharkhand capital arrived in Raipur to join his colleagues in the resort.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren did not accompany the UPA MLAs to Raipur, but some senior JMM leaders are with them, sources added.
Following a petition by the BJP seeking Soren's disqualification from the Assembly in an office of profit case, the EC sent its decision to state Governor Ramesh Bais on August 25.
Though the EC's decision is not yet made public, there was a buzz that the poll panel has recommended the chief minister's disqualification as an MLA.
The Raj Bhavan, however, has not yet made any official announcement on the issue.
On Thursday, the Jharkhand cabinet, in a meeting chaired by Soren in Ranchi, decided to request the governor for a day's special assembly session on September 5.