Jharkhand Trust votes TODAY: Coalition MLAs return to Ranchi from Hyderabad; Express unity and trust
Jharkhand confidence vote: JMM Legislature party leader Champai Soren took oath as chief minister on Friday after his predecessor Hemant Soren was arrested by the ED. The new dispensation will ask for a vote of confidence on Monday.
Jharkhand Trust Vote: The MLAs of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led alliance returned to the capital Ranchi on Sunday evening, ahead of the floor test of the new government led by Chief Minister Champai Soren in the assembly on Monday.
The lawmakers, who were taken to Hyderabad in Telangana fearing being poached by the opposition BJP, arrived at Ranchi's Birsa Munda Airport on Sunday evening on a chartered flight and were taken to the Circuit House in the city in two buses.
VIDEO | Jharkhand Congress MLAs arrive at Birsa Munda Airport in Ranchi from Hyderabad.
The floor test in Jharkhand Assembly is scheduled for February 5. pic.twitter.com/EWrr5oTDKm
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 4, 2024
'We are united'
Speaking to reporters at the airport, Jharkhand Chief Minister Alamgir Alam exuded confidence about winning the confidence vote and asserted that the alliance's lawmakers are “united”.
“Our MLAs are united… We have the support of 48 to 50 legislators,” Alam said.
#WATCH | Jharkhand: JMM and Congress MLAs arrive at Ranchi airport.
The floor test of the new Jharkhand government is likely to be held in the Assembly tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/dhNrXVBXAT
— ANI (@ANI) February 4, 2024
JMM MLA Mithilesh Thakur also expressed similar views and stated that the JMM-led coalition will pass the confidence vote.
Thakur also claimed that the JMM-led alliance also has the support of “many BJP legislators”.
JMM-led alliance will lose vote of confidence: BJP
However, Thakur's claims were dismissed by BJP's Chief Whip Biranchi Narain, who claimed that the coalition would lose the confidence vote on Monday.
Narain alleged that the alliance MLAs in Hyderabad were kept under strict surveillance, “indicating that they were not confident of winning.”
The opposition BJP on Sunday called a meeting of its legislative party to outline its strategy in the House of Representatives.
“The saffron party will oppose the no-confidence motion in the House of Representatives tomorrow as Champai Soren, after taking oath as chief minister, had said he would continue the programs of the previous Hemant Soren government.
“This reflects that it is part 2 of the Hemant Soren government, which will also indulge in corruption and malpractices,” Narayan alleged.
MLAs have flown to Hyderabad amid fear of poachers
The MLAs of the ruling JMM-led alliance were at a resort in Hyderabad for the past three days before leaving for Ranchi on Sunday evening.
Around 38 legislators had gone to Hyderabad in two flights on February 2 amid coalition fears that the BJP would try to 'poach' them ahead of the confidence vote.
A video released by the coalition on Thursday had claimed the support of 43 legislators in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly.
The Champai Soren-led alliance government in Jharkhand will seek a vote of confidence on Monday, the first day of the two-day meeting.
Soren received the oath of office from Governor CP Radhakrishnan at the Raj Bhavan on February 2.
Along with him, senior Congress leader Alamgir Alam and RJD leader Satyanand Bhokta took oath as ministers.
JMM Legislature party leader Champai Soren took oath as chief minister on Friday after his predecessor Hemant Soren was arrested by the ED on Wednesday in a money laundering case, plunging the state into political turmoil.
A special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court has allowed him to participate in the confidence vote. Hemant Soren was remanded to police custody for five days by the court on Friday.
The alliance between the JMM, Congress and RJD has 47 MLAs and is supported from outside by a single CPIML(L) legislator.
(With PTI inputs)