All cheers? Now, Jharkhand CM takes a boat ride as his MLA-ship hangs in balance | Latest News India

Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren was seen on Saturday taking a boat ride near the Latratu dam in Khunti where he and the ruling camp MLAs had reached ahead of an imminent political crisis in the state over reports that the Election Commission of India had recommended the CM’s disqualification as a legislator in a mining lease issue.

The CM has so far portrayed a relaxed mood in all visuals being released to the media over the past few hours. While on the boat, he was all smiles with a number of MLAs, including many women legislators, images from the resort showed him smiling and chatting with his MLAs in the balcony.

All the MLAs seemed to be in a cheerful mood. Soren also showed a thumbs up (victory sign) in the images.

One of the photographs from the resort seemed to show the CM who may soon lose his MLA post sitting on a chair and gazing at the greenery around.

Soren has rushed the ruling camp MLAs to a guest house in Khunti district, which is nearly 32 km from Ranchi, amid the latest crisis. Three buses, occupied by the legislators of the ruling JMM-Congress-RJD coalition had left for Khunti.

In earlier pictures that had surfaced, the MLAs were seen seated in the bus and flashing victory signs to the camera.

A minister told news agency ANI that all the MLAs are together, suggesting a camaraderie ahead of the expected crisis in the state government. He also said that several things were in motion as he spoke of their plans of going to “other places”.

“All ministers & MLAs are together. We’ll go to other places too, don’t know where we will go next. Several things are in motion right now,” minister Satyanand Bhokta was quoted as saying by ANI.

A video showed Soren taking a walk with his coalition MLAs and ministers near Latratu dam, guarded by police security.

The ECI sent its opinion to governor Ramesh Bais on August 25 on a plea seeking disqualification of the chief minister as an MLA for violating electoral norms by extending a mining lease to himself.

Meanwhile, Raj Bhavan sources have said the governor may take a call by evening on the ECI views on the “disqualification” of the chief minister as an MLA and send the disqualification order to the commission.

The JMM, the largest party, has 30 MLAs, the Congress 18 legislators, and the RJD one. The main opposition BJP has 26 MLAs in the House.

(With inputs from agencies)