Something cooking up in Jharkhand: Bhupesh Baghel

Ranchi, Aug 31: As a political crisis stares at the Jharkhand government, 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.

Over 30 MLAs of the JMM-Congress-RJD coalition in Jharkhand flew to Raipur by a chartered flight on Tuesday and were taken to Mayfair Golf Resort in Nava Raipur.

Baghel was talking to reporters on Wednesday morning at Swami Vivekananda Airport here before leaving for Himachal Pradesh where he has been appointed as senior observer by the Congress for the coming assembly polls.

"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.

"Recently three MLAs (of Congress in Jharkhand) were held in West Bengal (with cash). The Election Commission has sent some letters to Jharkhand Raj Bhavan and it has now been a week, but that communiqué is yet to be opened. It indicates something is cooking inside," the Congress leader further said.

On BJP leader Raman Singh's accusation that the Congress government in Chhattisgarh had turned the state into a "den of immoral acts," Baghel asked why he did not say anything when the MLAs of other parties in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Rajasthan were shifted (to the states ruled by the BJP).

"He should have spoken at that time. Why is he worried when we have brought MLAs of our party and alliance partner? Is he worried about how they (BJP) would do horse-trading now? He should tell us about the talk of Rs 50 crore in Maharashtra and Rs 20 crore in Jharkhand (as the price for defection)," Baghel added.

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.

Though the EC's decision is not yet made public, there was a buzz that the poll panel had recommended the chief minister's disqualification as an MLA.

In the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, the ruling alliance has 30 MLAs of the JMM, 18 MLAs of the Congress and one MLA of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).