SUMAN K SHRIVASTAVA
Ranchi, January 30: Keeping his card close to his chest on the issue of change of guard ahead of the ED questioning tomorrow, Chief Minister Hemant Soren today asked the JMM, Congress and the RJD MLAs to stay put in the capital.
“We did not discuss any plan B and will take a decision when the situation arises,” said a Congress MLA after attending a meeting held at the CM residence for two and half hours.
The MLA pointed out that earlier also, they (read BJP) have created such a situation when we were forced to open our cards. “Now, we do not want to fall in their trap,” the legislator added.
The MLA was referring to the issues of how the government got two bills -the domicile policy based on the 1932 khatiyan (land records) and the 77 per cent reservation policy- hurriedly passed by the State Assembly after the Election Commission report on the office of profit issue involving Hemant Soren. But the then Governor Ramesh Bais did not act on the EC recommendation.
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The latest was how Congress MLA Sarfaraz Ahmad vacated the Gandey seat for Kalpana Soren, if she replaced Hemant Soren.
“So, we will see the ED action tomorrow and thereafter take a decision on how our government completes its tenure,” said another MLA.
The MLA’s assertion apart, the day’s political developments dropped enough hints that Hemant Soren wants his better half to succeed him in case he quit after the ED took him into custody for interrogation in the Ranchi land scam.
Kalpana Soren also attended the MLAs’ meeting after Hemant Soren reached Ranchi from New Delhi by road dodging the ED team.
The absence of five JMM MLAs- Sita Soren, Basant Soren, Lobin Hembrom, Chamra Linda and Ramdas Soren- is also not good news for the beleaguered chief minister.
BJP Nishikant Dubey has already claimed that both Sita and Basant were in his touch and they do not want Kalpana to get the state’s crown.
A senior Congress leader also confided that a senior JMM MLA, most likely Champai Soren, should succeed Hemant Soren if he quits in the wake of the ED action.
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