No immediate threat to Jharkhand govt, says JMM as Soren awaits Governor’s order on disqualification

The ECI formulated its opinion under Article 192 of the Constitution, which deals with the disqualification of MLAs, and sent it to the governor after investigating documents pertaining to a mining lease in Ranchi’s Argora area that was granted to Soren, who also holds the mining portfolio. The poll panel took up the matter after state BJP leaders submitted a petition to Bais, calling for the CM’s disqualification. After the controversy broke out, Soren surrendered the mining lease.

With certain sections of the media reporting that Soren was likely to lose his place in the Assembly, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said in a message, “The chief minister is apprised of several media reports about the ECI sending a report to Governor, Jharkhand, apparently recommending his disqualification as an MLA. No communication in this regard has been received by the CMO from either the ECI or the Governor.”

The CMO quoted Soren as saying, “It apparently seems that BJP leaders, including a BJP MP and his puppet journalists, have themselves drafted the ECI report, which is otherwise a sealed cover report. This blatant misuse of constitutional authorities and public agencies and its complete takeover by BJP HQ in Deendayal Upadhyay Marg in this shameful manner is unseen in Indian Democracy.”

The JMM took to Twitter to hit out at the ECI, alleging that it was acting at the BJP’s behest.

As the state awaits the governor’s orders, a senior JMM minister said, “First of all, the governor has to read it and then give his order. Based on that order, the government may file an appeal and will be challenged. So, there is no danger to the government immediately. However, there will be some ramifications like party leaders and workers may get disillusioned as the Opposition continues to attack us. However, without reading ECI’s opinion this is all speculation.”

A few state ministers and the advocate general arrived at the CM’s residence for a closed-door meeting to discuss how they would act in case of disqualification. One leader said if the CM were disqualified, Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato could buy him some time to challenge the governor’s order.

“There may be a possibility that he (Soren) may remain CM even if he is disqualified as an MLA and will fight the by-election from the seat on which he won earlier. In case he wins again, it will be a mandate in his favour. But everything will depend on the EC’s exact order. The leadership is considering all possible scenarios,” said the JMM functionary.

Soren’s image problem

The entire episode has underscored the perception battle that Soren and the JMM are battling — that corruption seems to have increased. People in the ruling alliance have pointed out that things have not been going smoothly for them since last June. The CM’s close aide Pankaj Mishra is also under judicial custody after the ED arrested him following raids conducted to unearth illegal mining in the state. In April, Ranjan told the Jharkhand High Court that the state had committed “a mistake” and the lease had since been surrendered.

For Soren, the weight of these corruption allegations adds to the burden of his father’s history. Shibu Soren, a four-time MP, accepted before an Income Tax Appellate Tribunal that he had taken Rs 1 crore from the Congress in 1993 to save the PV Narasimha Rao government “in the national interest”. The JMM leader claimed that the money was not “a bribe” but was for the “welfare of the people of Jharkhand”. This came to be known as the “famed JMM case”.