Brief story: The newly established Champai Soren government in Jharkhand is set to undergo a trust vote in the assembly on Monday. Champai Soren assumed the position of chief minister after Hemant Soren, leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case. In preparation for the crucial trust vote, Congress MLAs, who are part of the ruling JMM-led alliance in Jharkhand, returned to the state capital Ranchi from Hyderabad on Sunday. Earlier, around 40 legislators had flown to Hyderabad on February 2, as the coalition had concerns about possible “poaching” attempts by the BJP leading up to the trust vote.
After the return of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led coalition MLAs from Hyderabad to Ranchi, all eyes are now on the imminent floor test scheduled for 11 am on Monday in the Jharkhand assembly.
Champai Soren, who has taken on the role of chief minister following Hemant Soren’s arrest, is preparing to demonstrate his majority in the Assembly. The former chief minister, Hemant Soren, is expected to be released from jail to participate in the voting process.
#WATCH | Jharkhand: MLAs of the JMM-led ruling alliance arrive at the State Assembly in Ranchi for the Floor Test. pic.twitter.com/TRac3cX4mI
— ANI (@ANI) February 5, 2024
The Jharkhand Assembly, consisting of 81 seats, requires a majority of 41 to form the government. The JMM-led coalition holds a comfortable majority with 48 MLAs, comprising 29 from JMM, 17 from Congress, and one each from RJD and CPI(ML). However, it is uncertain whether all MLAs will take part in the floor test. On the other hand, the NDA has 29 MLAs, with BJP securing 26 seats and AJSU having 3. The remaining 3 seats are held by Independents and other parties.
The coalition MLAs had been relocated to Hyderabad as a precautionary measure to thwart any potential poaching attempts by the BJP. They spent the weekend at Leonia Resort under strict security measures, inaccessible to outsiders and other resort guests.