Jharkhand crisis: Hemant Soren convenes cabinet meeting amid political crisis today

Ranchi, Sep 01: Jharkhand cabinet meeting is scheduled to take place on Thursday at 4 pm, a day after four of the 32 MLAs from the ruling United Progressive Alliance in the state returned to Ranchi from Chhattisgarh's Raipur.

One of the ministers said they are going back to Ranchi for a Cabinet meeting scheduled on Thursday.

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-Congress-Rashtriya Janata Dal coalition in Jharkhand on Tuesday flew its 32 MLAs to Raipur to prevent the BJP's alleged attempts to poach its legislators and shifted them to the luxurious resort in Nava Raipur.

On Wednesday, Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel said the way BJP had been sniffing around for horse-trading, there were indications that they are "cooking something up" in the state.

"Alliance partners JMM and Congress in Jharkhand decided to bring their MLAs to Chhattisgarh to protect them considering the way the BJP has indulged in horse-trading," Baghel said.

A few days ago, the UPA leaders along with the CM had gone to the Latratu dam in Khunti district. After having quality time, they returned on the same day.

In February this year, the BJP submitted a memorandum to the Governor seeking disqualification of Soren from the House under Section 9(A) of the Representation of People's Act.

The Governor had forwarded BJP complaint to the ECI and the poll panel in May had issued a notice to the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader. The ruling UPA coalition has 49 MLAs in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly.

Soren's Jharkhand Mukti Morcha believes that the BJP may make a serious attempt to poach MLAs from it and Congress in a bid to topple the government in a manner similar to Maharashtra. Following a petition by the BJP seeking Soren's disqualification from the Assembly in an office of profit case, the Election Commission sent its decision to state Governor Ramesh Bais on August 25.