The Governor informed the ruling JMM-Congress alliance that he would revisit their proposal to name JMM’s Champai Soren as the leader of the legislature party after taking all legal considerations into account, meaning that Jharkhand will wake up on February 1st without a Chief Minister. The Enforcement Directorate briefly detained Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday night after he handed in his resignation to Governor C P Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhavan.
There are 29, 17, and one MLA in the coalition that rules JMM, Congress, and RJD, respectively. The BJP has 26 members in the opposition, while the AJSU has 3. There are two independents and one MLA each for the CPI (M-L) and NCP (AP).
Legislators from the ruling alliance were not met by the governor, according to Congress MLA Dipika Pandey Singh: “We were given time by the Governor and then disrespectfully told to go.” We’ve been driven out after demonstrating our majority. The entire elected leadership was asked to leave, and the Raj Bhavan is behaving like the BJP’s agent.
“I have been elected as the Legislative Party leader in the meeting of the Legislative Party of JMM,” Champai Soren wrote in a letter to the governor. Consequently, today is the day that I have been unanimously elected as the leader of the Joint Legislative Party by all the honorable MLAs of the alliance parties. I have also attached letters of support from the leader of the Indian National Congress, the leader of Rashtriya Janata Dal, an MLA, and other individuals. Consequently, I have the endorsement of 47 distinguished members, surpassing the majority count. As a result, I humbly ask that you acknowledge my claim and move to name me the Chief Minister when the new government is formed.
The absence of an appointed successor, according to sources in the ruling alliance, could result in “a constitutional crisis.” “What is stopping the Governor when we have the majority? There isn’t even an acting CM as of yet. “When there are no loopholes, whom does the governor want to consult?” questioned a leader.
Former BJP leader and Independent MLA Saryu Roy said on social media that following Hemant Soren’s resignation from the position of Chief Minister, which the Honorable Governor accepted, “there is no Chief Minister, no government in Jharkhand.” There is currently a constitutional crisis in the state. The only option available to the state is the president’s short-term rule until a different kind of government is established.
Speaker of Jharkhand Rabindranath Mahato, however, told The Indian Express that since they are in the majority, there is currently nothing to be concerned about. The government will operate in the same manner as before. We have demonstrated the majority and will do so at any time, so I don’t see any threat.