Jharkhand uncertainty ends, Champai Soren is CM-designate

The Governor is set to call Champai Soren to take oath Friday, and he will have 10 days to prove his majority on the floor of the House.

As senior Congress leaders expressed fears of horse trading, MLAs of the ruling alliance had gathered at Ranchi airport in the evening to head to Hyderabad to keep the flock intact. But inclement weather grounded flights there.

Hemant Soren had submitted his resignation to the Governor Wednesday night, just before his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate over allegations of money laundering.

The JMM-Congress alliance had immediately proposed appointing Champai Soren as leader of the legislature party, but was told by the Governor that he would revert after considering all legalities.

Champai Soren again wrote to the Governor Thursday, seeking time to meet – and the five legislators who met Radhakrishnan at 5.30 pm got the same response.

CPI (M-L) MLA Vinod Singh, who attended the meeting with the Governor, told The Indian Express: “He assured us that the decision will be democratic and cited the ‘peculiar situation that has emerged’, which he needs to send for legal consideration.”

The delay had provoked a sharp reaction from the Congress. “What is the explanation for this delay, except silence? Are you waiting for instructions from the Prime Minister’s office or the Home Minister’s office or are you waiting to employ every possible way by hook or by crook and more by crook and less by hook to get MLAs to change sides, to offer inducements to do horse trading, because this is clearly your definition of ‘New India’, this is your vision of the 75th Amrit Kaal?” Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said. Party leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Jairam Ramesh had also weighed in.

By 11 pm, however, Champai Soren had been appointed by the Governor to form the government.

Meanwhile, Hemant Soren was sent to judicial custody by a PMLA court until the next hearing Friday. The ED had sought his custody for 10 days.

On Friday, the Supreme Court will hear Soren’s plea challenging his arrest.

Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Singhvi mentioned the plea Thursday before a bench presided by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud.

Appearing for the ED, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said Soren’s lawyers had mentioned it before the High Court Chief Justice, who had kept it for hearing at 10.30 am Thursday.

Sibal said, “We are withdrawing that petition. We wanted it to be listed before the HC last evening. That’s why we mentioned it.”

He said, “Your Lordships will have to decide this… It’s a matter that affects the polity of the country… Can a man be arrested like this?”

As Sibal said it’s a “very serious matter”, Additional Solicitor General S V Raju responded, “Very serious allegations also.”

“Yes, I know the seriousness,” Sibal said.

Mehta said many people get arrested every day and wondered if all of them would come directly to the Supreme Court.

“Everyone will be jailed before elections,” Sibal said.

The bench, which initially pointed to the matter pending before the HC, later agreed to hear it. “Right now we are only saying list it for tomorrow,” the CJI said and told Sibal and Mehta in a lighter vein, “Please keep the ammunition all charged for tomorrow.”

The bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna, M M Sundresh and Bela M Trivedi will hear the matter at 10.30 am Friday.

– With Ananthakrishnan G in New Delhi