Meanwhile, JMM legislature party leader Champai Soren on Friday took oath as the chief minister of Jharkhand.
Published Feb 02, 2024 | 5:17 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 02, 2024 | 5:17 PM
39 Jharkhand MLAs arrived in Hyderabad on 2 February. (Supplied)
The MLAs of the ruling JMM-led alliance in Jharkhand landed in Hyderabad on Friday, 2 February, amid the coalition’s fears that the BJP may attempt to “poach” them in the run-up to the trust vote to be faced by the newly-formed Champai Soren government.
About 40 legislators arrived at the Begumpet airport in Hyderabad in two flights, Congress sources said. AICC Telangana in-charge Deepa Das Munshi and state Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar received the MLAs.
A senior leader of the ruling coalition had said in Ranchi that the decision to shift the legislators to Hyderabad, capital of the Congress-ruled Telangana, was taken considering that the Opposition BJP may make attempts to “poach” them.
“We were given 10 days to prove the government’s majority. We can’t take any chance during the period as the BJP might try to contact our MLAs,” the senior leader said.
A video released by the JMM-led coalition on Thursday showed the support of 43 legislators in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly.
The legislators were supposed to travel to Hyderabad on Thursday afternoon but were delayed due to two chartered flights being cancelled due to low visibility.
Meanwhile, JMM legislature party leader Champai Soren on Friday took oath as the chief minister of Jharkhand. He was administered the oath of office by Governor C P Radhakrishnan at the Raj Bhavan in Ranchi.
Along with Champai Soren, senior Congress leader Alamgir Alam and RJD leader Satyanand Bhokta took oath as state ministers.
Following a serious political crisis that has hit the JMM-led ruling coalition, following the arrest of former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, efforts are being taken to shield MLAs from poaching attempts.
Anticipating the arrival of MLAs from Jharkhand, the ruling Congress in Telangana made arrangements at Leonia Hotel and Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad for their stay.
“We have made all arrangements for the legislators. We are ready at our end. As soon as they land in Hyderabad, they would be properly accommodated for as long as required,” Telangana Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar told South First on Thursday.
A day after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Hemant Soren immediately after he resigned as chief minister of Jharkhand, ruling coalition MLAs were scheduled to move to the Congress-ruled Hyderabad.
Congress MLA and Jharkhand Health and Medical Education Minister Banna Gupta confirmed to South First that over 40 MLAs travelling with him waited inside the aircraft for over an hour before the flight was cancelled on Thursday night.
Speaking from the chartered plane on Thursday, Banna Gupta said more than 40 MLAs in two flights were waiting to leave for Hyderabad.
“We have been waiting since afternoon. We have been sitting in the flight for over half an hour but it hasn’t taken off due to poor visibility,” he said before their flight was eventually cancelled.
Gupta added that at least eight MLAs of the coalition would stay back in Ranchi to oversee political developments.
“Nitish Kumar was allowed to resign and take oath again as the chief minister of Bihar within hours, but our plea of staking claim to form the government is being delayed unnecessarily,” he told South First.
A political crisis has been rocking Jharkhand after incumbent chief minister Soren resigned on Wednesday night, followed by his detention by the ED.
He was arrested moments after he submitted his resignation to Jharkhand Governor CP Radhakrishnan.
Champai Soren has now staked a claim to form the government. The coalition’s 47 MLAs have released a video message firmly supporting Champai Soren as the chief minister. Yet the Governor has not invited him to form the government.
The coalition has 49 MLAs in the Jharkhand Assembly, which has a strength of 81. The coalition includes the JMM (29 MLAs), the Congress (17 MLAs), the NCP, the RJD, and the Left (one each).
The ED arrested Hemant Soren over his alleged involvement in a land scam. This was the first time that the ED had detained and later arrested a serving chief minister.
Meanwhile, Soren moved the Supreme Court challenging his arrest by the ED even as ruling coalition MLAs were planning to be moved to Hyderabad by special flights.
In a setback to former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, the Supreme Court on Friday refused to interfere with his arrest by the ED in a money laundering case and asked him to approach the high court.
A special bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna, MM Sundresh and Bela M Trivedi asked senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Soren, to seek relief from the high court.
A JMM-led coalition delegation, after Soren resigned, met Governor CP Radhakrishnan and claimed that they had the support of 47 MLAs and urged him to invite Champai Soren, whom they had elected as their leader, to be sworn in as the chief minister.
Champai Soren is a confidant of Shibu Soren, the father of Hemant Soren.
(With PTI inputs)
