Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren’s boat ride with MLAs amid disqualification suspense

The move comes as an attempt to deflect poaching by the Opposition. Three Congress MLAs were recently arrested in West Bengal for allegedly planning to topple the government.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren with legislators en route to Khunti. @IndianExpress pic.twitter.com/yWrMW3x6Yw

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Chief Minister Soren faces disqualification under the Representation of the People’s Act over a mining lease that he took on his own name despite holding the Mining and Environment portfolio. Since Friday, he has convened three marathon meetings to decide on the future course of action.

Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren with the MLAs en route to Khunti on Saturday. (Express Photo)

“The strategy is to wait for the governor to release EC’s order and we are prepared to deal with it. However, we still have to keep an eye on all MLAs. We are going to Latatu in Khunti to eat mutton and rice,” one of the MLAs on the bus said on the condition of anonymity.

Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren enjoys a boat ride with the MLAs in Khunti on Saturday. (Express Photo)

Soren, on Friday, lashed out at the Centre for “unleashing” all constitutional agencies to “de-stabilise a democratically elected government”. He later tweeted, “The Centre has unleashed all agencies on me after I asked for legitimate Rs 1.36 lakh crore dues which are pending to the state. When they see that they cannot harm me, they are trying to harass ‘Guruji’ (Shibu Soren), who is in a certain age bracket, to get to me.” The BJP, the petitioner in the case, has sought Soren’s disqualification for violating Section 9(A) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which deals with disqualification for government contracts.