As Jharkhand MLAs return, trust vote buzz grows

The MLAs will spend the night together at the Circuit House with JMM sources saying that a trust vote may be held Monday to “show the solidarity of the alliance” even as Governor Ramesh Bais is yet to officially convey the Election Commission’s view on the disqualification of Soren as MLA over a mining lease he had granted himself last year.

United Progressive Alliance (UPA) MLAs arrive at Birsa Munda International Airport after travelling from Raipur on the eve of Floor Test at Jharkhand Assembly, in Ranchi, Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022. (PTI Photo)

Speaking to reporters, Soren said, “Whether there will be a trust vote or not, this will be known only after the session is over. And there are many hours left for the session to start, and let some time pass by. The way the Opposition is weaving the net of conspiracies… the nets they have laid, they will be caught in the same net and will be thrown out.”

The ruling alliance has 49 MLAs — 30 from JMM, 18 from Congress and one from the RJD — in the 82-member House. However, three Congress MLAs face disqualification after being arrested in West Bengal allegedly with unaccounted money in their vehicle.

“The (Jharkhand) Assembly tribunal has completed its hearing on the issue of the disqualification of Babulal Marandi, who had merged his JVM(P) with the BJP, and a few other leaders. The Speaker may announce this on Monday. Whether there will be a trust vote after that, that will depend, as the CM indicated,” an insider said.

For the Opposition, the BJP and AJSU Party together have 28 seats, with 14 more needed to form a government.

“There are strong rumours that some 10 MLAs are being poached and that is why the CM had to move them to Chattisgarh. All Congress Cabinet ministers were taken to Chhattisgarh and watched. A few of the MLAs are still being closely watched. If Soren is disqualified, one has to see how things turn in the scheme of things,” a government insider said.

Mithilesh Thakur, JMM general secretary and a State Minister, told The Indian Express: “We are prepared for any kind of eventuality. In a democracy, a show of numbers and strength is important. We have the support of more than 50 MLAs. All legal advisories that the state received — from various sources such as political analysts and legal luminaries — said that Hemant Soren wouldn’t be disqualified. But whatever the result, our government won’t be affected and we will run the government till 2024 with full strength. If the situation of debarment comes, we will try to get relief in six hours because it will not stand in the High Court or the apex court.”