The Champai Soren government in Jharkhand — formed last week after a massive political crisis following the arrest of its Chief Minister — will take a floor test to prove its majority today. The majority mark in the 81-member assembly is 41.
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The ruling alliance of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Congress and Lalu Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal had sent off their MLAs to Congress-ruled Telangana to prevent any poaching by the BJP.
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There have been allegations that some of the MLAs were approached by the BJP, in an attempt at what the Opposition calls Operation Lotus.
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The ruling alliance has 47 MLAs in the 81-member house, where the majority mark is 41. Currently 43 MLAs are backing Champai Soren.
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The BJP has 25 MLAs and the AJSU, or All Jharkhand Students Union, has three. The NCP and a Left party have one each and there are three independent MLAs.
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Arrested former Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who claimed he is the target of a huge conspiracy, has been allowed to participate in the trust vote. A special court in Ranchi has allowed it despite vehement objections by the Enforcement Directorate..
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The ruling MLAs were shipped off to Hyderabad to protect the government ahead of the coming general election. “Our MLAs are united… We have the support of 48 to 50 legislators,” state minister Alamgir Alam told reporters on their return from Hyderabad this evening.
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JMM lawmaker Mithilesh Thakur asserted that the party-led coalition will sail through the trust vote, reported news agency Press Trust of India. “Many BJP legislators are also in support of the alliance in the state,” he claimed.
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Biranchi Narain, Chief Whip of the BJP in the state, said the coalition was set to lose the vote of confidence.
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Champai Soren — along with ministers Alamgir Alam of the Congress and Satyanand Bhokta of the RJD — was administered the oath of office by Governor CP Radhakrishnan on February 2,over 24 hours after Hemant Soren stepped down from the top post.
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Shortly after, he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in an alleged money laundering case connected to a land scam. The former Chief Minister — who was questioned on Wednesday morning — was being evasive, the Central agency had said, and pointed to the seven summons he had evaded.
