Former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren at PMLA court in Ranchi. ANI
New Delhi, February 1
The political crisis in Jharkhand — which has been without a Chief Minister since Wednesday evening after Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in an alleged money laundering case related a land scam — intensified after MLAs of the ruling JMM- Congress- RJD alliance were herded in an aircraft to Hyderabad to protect them from poaching.
SC special bench to hear Hemant’s plea
The Supreme Court on Thursday set up a special three-judge Bench to hear Hemant Soren’s plea against his arrest. A Bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna, MM Sundresh and Bela M Trivedi will hear the plea at 10.30 am on Friday
This happened even as Champai Soren, Hemant’s confidant, met the Governor to stake claim for forming the government, claiming adequate numbers.
Meanwhile, Hemant Soren on Thursday moved the Supreme Court challenging his arrest in the money laundering case.
Soren’s petition was mentioned by senior counsel Kapil Sibal before a Bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud which agreed to list it for urgent hearing on Friday.
As Solicitor General Tushar Mehta opposed Soren’s petition on the ground that the Jharkhand High Court was scheduled to hear his petition on Thursday, Sibal told the Bench that “we will be withdrawing the petition in the High Court.”
To add to the political drama in the state, BJP MP from Godda (Jharkhand) Nishikant Dubey posted on X a list of passengers on the chartered plane in which JMM-alliance MLAs are flying to Hyderabad. He claimed that only four were MLAs, which means that the remaining MLAs are not keen to go there. “JMM national president Shibu Soren does not want Champai Soren to be the Chief Minister,” Dubey quipped.
Hours earlier, Champai Soren, the JMM’s pick to replace Hemant Soren, had met and urged Governor CP Radhakrishnan to invite him to form the next state government. “We have demanded that the process to start formation of the new government begins. The Governor has assured us it will start soon. We have submitted the report with 43 MLAs in our support. We expect the number will reach 46-47... so there is no problem. Our or alliance is very strong,” Champai added.
Sources said the Governor was also shown a 49-second roll-call video of all MLAs backing Champai Soren, who is a senior member of the JMM and a seven-time MLA.
Meanwhile, the Congress on Thursday questioned the delay in swearing in Champai Soren as the new Jharkhand Chief Minister after Hemant Soren resigned on Wednesday ahead of his arrest by ED in connection with an alleged land scam.
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