After spending the previous two days in Hyderabad, some forty members of the Mahagathbandhan, the ruling coalition led by the JMM, will return to Jharkhand on Sunday, February 4, in order to participate in the pivotal trust vote on February 5 and 6.
In response to “poaching fears,” the lawmakers were taken to a private resort in Shamirpet, on the outskirts of Hyderabad, when Champai Soren, the leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), assumed the position of chief minister after Hemant Soren’s incarceration.
In the 81-member Jharkhand assembly, the alliance including the JMM, Congress, and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has 47 MLAs. The lone CPIML (L) lawmaker supports the coalition from the outside. With their partners, the BJP has 29 MLAs.
With the backing of forty-three MLAs, Champai Soren staked his claim to form the government. “We anticipate that 46–47 will be reached, so there shouldn’t be any issues. We have a powerful “gathbandhan,” he declared at the time.
The JMM government is predicted to pass the floor test with ease and reach the majority mark of 41 barring any unforeseen circumstances.
NOTHING IS RIGHT IN JMM
The JMM is working hard to keep its flock together with only one day left to cast a ballot. One of the party’s lawmakers is reportedly off the grid and won’t be there for the Monday floor test.
On Sunday, Lobin Hembrom, another MLA, consented to ‘conditionally’ back the administration headed by Chief Minister Champai Soren. Following a lengthy conversation with JMM chairman Shibu Soren, Hembrom listed a number of conditions that had to be satisfied in order for him to support the government. These conditions included outlawing the sale of alcohol and enacting stronger legislation to preserve forests and save water.
Known for his rebellious comments against Hemant Soren and his party, Hembrom also demanded strict observance of the Santhal Pargana Tenancy (SPT) Act and the Chota Nagpur Tenancy (CNT) Act, among other things.
Hembrom, the MLA from the Borio seat in the Sahibganj district, questioned the party’s choice to use “resort politics,” asking, “What was the need to travel there (Hyderabad)? This is where we should stay if we are together.
