Champai Soren, JMM Alliance Request Audience With Jharkhand Guv, Meeting Set For 5:30 PM

Jharkhand Governor, C P Radhakrishnan, has allocated a meeting time of 5:30 pm on Thursday to Champai Soren, the Leader of the JMM legislative party, at Raj Bhavan.

Jharkhand Governor C P Radhakrishnan has scheduled a meeting with Champai Soren, the Leader of the JMM legislative party, at Raj Bhavan on Thursday at 5:30 pm. Earlier in the day, Champai Soren wrote to Governor Radhakrishnan, seeking a 3 pm meeting with all MLAs to demonstrate majority support for forming a stable government in the state.

State Congress chief Rajesh Thakur had told PTI that Champai Soren sought the governor's time at 3 pm to prove majority, with MLAs awaiting the governor's invitation. In the event of a delay, the legislators are prepared to travel to Hyderabad to prevent potential poaching attempts by the opposition BJP.

"We are unaware of the reasons for the delay...In case the Raj Bhawan delays in extending an invitation to the alliance to form a government, lawmakers will fly to Hyderabad, in a bid to thwart any attempt of the opposition BJP to poach them," Thakur was quoted as saying by PTI.

Champai Soren, the newly elected leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha legislature party, expressed the alliance's readiness to form the government, awaiting an invite from the Raj Bhavan with the support of 47 MLAs in the 81-member assembly, earlier today. 

The senior JMM leader proposed as the new chief minister emphasised the delay, told PTI, "We are waiting for 15-16 hours, whereas oaths are administered within two hours of stake claim and invite in other states." He cited Bihar, where JD(U) president Nitish Kumar resigned quickly and returned to office with the support of the BJP-led NDA.

Having submitted a letter of support from 43 MLAs to the governor, Champai Soren confirmed the backing of 47 legislators.

According to a PTI report, a top official, speaking anonymously, described the state's lack of a Chief Minister as a constitutional crisis, while Principal Secretary to the Governor Nitin Madan Kulkarni dismissed concerns, saying, "What crisis is there?"

Following the arrest of Hemant Soren on charges of money laundering and subsequent resignation as the Jharkhand Chief Minister, Champai Soren, the state transport minister, was named as his successor. Governor CP Radhakrishnan accepted Hemant Soren's resignation on Wednesday night.