Ranchi: After leaving Jharkhand earlier in the day, 31 MLAs of the leading UPA alliance, alongside 10 office staff, reached neighbouring Chhattisgarh's capital Raipur on Tuesday evening in an attempt to avoid BJP's poaching attempts. They are expected to be put up at Mayfair Resort in the city.
"An important meeting was convened at the Chief Minister's residence to discuss the emerging political scenario," said a minister, who did not wish to be named, earlier in the day. The development comes amid Raj Bhavan maintaining silence over the Election Commission's ruling on the Chief Minister's continuance as an MLA.
Following a petition by the BJP seeking Soren's disqualification from the Assembly in an office of profit case, the Election Commission has sent its decision to state Governor Ramesh Bais on August 25.
Though the EC's decision is not yet made official, there was a buzz that the poll panel has recommended the chief minister's disqualification as an MLA. The Raj Bhavan did not announce anything on this matter since then. Earlier on August 27, CM Soren was seen spending quality time with his MLAs at the Latratu dam in the Khunti district of the state.
Also read:Jharkhand crisis: MLAs enjoy day of sightseeing, Soren safe till Monday
The UPA legislators have requested the governor to clear the confusion saying they were ready to face any situation. On August 28, UPA constituents the JMM, Congress and the RJD had in a joint statement accused the governor of encouraging political horse-trading by "deliberately delaying" announcing a decision on the CM's membership of the legislature.
Soren's JMM believes that the BJP may make a serious attempt to poach MLAs from it and from the Congress in a bid to topple the government in a manner similar to Maharashtra and there is a need to ringfence the legislators in a safe haven.
There were speculations on August 27 that the UPA legislators would go to an undisclosed destination in West Bengal or Chhattisgarh as the legislators entered the chief minister's residence for a meeting with luggage. Later on that day, they left Ranchi in three buses for Latratu, near the border with Chhattisgarh, only to return to the state capital by the evening. The ruling coalition has 49 MLAs in the 81-member Assembly. A meeting of the Jharkhand cabinet has been scheduled on September 1 at 4 pm.
