Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren Wins Trust Vote, Gets Support Of 48 MLAs. BJP Abstains

A total of 48 MLAs voted in favour of CM Hemant Soren's confidence motion in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren.

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Jharkhand Assembly passes Chief Minister Hemant Soren's confidence motion despite BJP boycott. A total of 48 MLAs voted in favour of CM Hemant Soren's confidence motion in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, news agency PTI reported.

48 MLAs voted in favour of confidence motion tabled by CM Hemant Soren in 81-member Jharkhand Assembly

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 5, 2022

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma engaged in "buying" Jharkhand MLAs, alleged Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in the Assembly.

'BJP Attempting To Create A Civil War Like Situtation': CM Hemant Soren

During confidence motion in Assembly, CM Soren stated: "BJP attempting to create a 'civil war' like situation in country by fuelling riots to win elections."

Slamming BJP, CM Soren stated: "They want to create an atmosphere where 2 states are pitted against each other. They want to create an atmosphere of civil war & want to fan riots to win polls. As long as there is UPA Govt here, such plots will not survive. You will get a befitting political reply."

"The manner in which obstacles are being presented before our Govt. Three of our MLAs are in Bengal. The onus of poaching (of MLAs) in Bengal lies on Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma. They don't cooperate with the Police going to those states to probe this," he was quoted by ANI on its official Twitter handle.

The manner in which obstacles are being presented before our Govt. Three of our MLAs are in Bengal. The onus of poaching (of MLAs) in Bengal lies on Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma. They don't cooperate with the Police going to those states to probe this: Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren pic.twitter.com/faxk1V4Efn

— ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2022

The assembly session comes amid the state's continuing political turmoil, and a day after UPA MLAs from Jharkhand who were staying at a Raipur resort went back to Ranchi on Sunday.

Fearing poaching by the opposition BJP, Chief Minister Hemant Soren's Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led coalition relocated the MLAs to a posh resort in Nava Raipur.

Yesterday, Hemant Soren held a meeting with the returning MLAs. The legislators slept in the circuit home overnight and left in the morning for the one-day session.

The chief minister has stated his willingness to bring a motion of confidence to show his majority, according to a letter delivered to MLAs by the Assembly secretariat.

In the midst of the uncertainty surrounding the continuance of the Jharkhand Chief Minister as an MLA, the opposition BJP met on Sunday to plan its approach in the House.

“A state of confusion is prevailing in Jharkhand. Our delegation met the Governor (on Thursday) and he assured us to clear the air in a day or two. But nothing has happened till now. Therefore, we will raise our points in the Assembly and prove our majority,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Alamgir Alam was quoted by PTI in its report. 

Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel denied that he was harbouring the Jharkhand UPA MLAs in his state in a bid to to save the Jharkhand government.

When asked about the Jharkhand UPA MLAs in Raipur, Baghel said, "Who am I to save anyone (Jharkhand govt)? ...They are guests in my state", ANI reported.

The statement comes days after CM Baghel said that the UPA coalition government in Jharkhand shifted its MLAs to Raipur to protect them from being poached in view of the BJP's "horse-trading" tactics.

Jharkhand has witnessed political uncertainty amid reports that Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren could be disqualified as an MLA. Nearly 31 MLAs and ministers of the ruling coalition in Jharkhand reached Chattisgarh's capital Raipur.

(With Inputs From Agencies)