Ranchi, August 27Amidst a political crisis triggered by an EC ruling on Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s continuance as an MLA, UPA legislators left Ranchi for Latratu, near the border with Chhattisgarh, only to return to the state capital by evening.The MLAs of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Congress and the RJD left the state capital in three buses in the afternoon and returned to Ranchi after spending a few hours at Latratu in Khunti district, some 40 km from here. “We had a fun-filled boat ride and picnic,” a senior Congress leader claimed. Speculations were earlier rife that they would go to an undisclosed destination in some “friendly state” with a non-BJP government such as West Bengal or Chhattisgarh as the MLAs entered the CM’s residence for a meeting with luggage. Soren’s JMM believes that the BJP may make a serious attempt to poach MLAs from it and from the Congress in a bid to topple the government in a manner “similar to Maharashtra” and there is a need to ringfence the legislators in a “safe haven.”Legislators’ day outA minister said the MLAs went on a “picnic” to LatratuSources say 3 sites in C’garh, a few in Bengal identified to shift MLAs, if need beCM Soren accused of violating poll norms by ‘extending’ a mining lease to himself’Resort politics’ is the need of the hour to keep the numbers of the ruling alliance intact, JMM sources had said earlier in the day.Following a petition by the BJP seeking Soren’s disqualification from the Assembly in an office of profit case, the Election Commission had sent its decision to state Governor Ramesh Bais on August 25. Though the EC’s decision is not yet made official, there was a buzz that the poll panel has recommended the Chief Minister’s disqualification as an MLA.Raj Bhavan sources said the Governor may take a call on the matter on Monday. The BJP has sought Soren’s disqualification for violating Section 9 (A) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which deals with disqualification for government contracts. The clause states that “a person shall be disqualified if, and for so long as, there subsists a contract entered into by him in the course of his trade or business with the appropriate government for the supply of goods to, or for the execution of any works undertaken by, that government”.
