Jharkhand CM Soren govt wins confidence vote

By Our Special Correspondent

The Hemant Soren government in Jharkhand on Monday won the confidence vote in the Assembly by a comfortable margin, helping the politically-savvy tribal leader consolidate his hold over the state despite fears that his MLAs would be poached to bring down the JMM-led regime.

As many as 48 MLAs voted in favor of the confidence motion in the 81-member Assembly — 29 of the JMM, 15 of the Congress, one each of RJD, NCP and CPIML (L) and an Independent – even as the opposition BJP-led NDA walked out of the House.

Speaking during the special session, Soren said the need for the trust vote was felt as the BJP was “attempting to destabilize democratically elected governments” in non-BJP-ruled states, including Jharkhand.

“Uncertainty had been prevailing in the state since August 25 after the media reported that the ECI has sent its recommendation to governor (over BJP’s petition seeking Soren’s disqualification as MLA in an office-of-profit case). But the governor is still silent.

“An UPA delegation met him urging him to clear the air. He assured them that there will be clarity in two-three days. Thereafter, he went to Delhi through the backdoor,” the CM claimed.

“The chief minister tabled the motion as he wanted to show the country that the MLAs, on whom he himself has no trust, are with his government.

“The entire country got to see the way MLAs were taken to Raipur in a chartered flight. After their arrival in Ranchi, they were not allowed to stay at their residences and had to put up in a circuit house. Today morning, too, they were packed in a bus and brought to the Assembly. This is enough proof that Soren has no trust in his MLAs,” Marandi asserted. PTI