No letter yet: Jharkhand CM Soren on EC's disqualification move

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Thursday (August 25) alleged blatant misuse of constitutional authorities and public agencies after reports claimed that the Election Commission recommended his disqualification as an MLA in the mining lease case.

No communication in this regard has been received by the Chief Minister’s Office from either the Election Commission or Governor Ramesh Bais, his secretariat said.

“It apparently seems that BJP leaders including a BJP MP and his puppet journalists have themselves drafted the ECI report, which is otherwise a sealed cover report,” Soren said in a statement issued by his secretariat.

Also Read: Illegal mining case: ED conducts fresh raids in Jharkhand

“This blatant misuse of constitutional authorities and public agencies and its complete takeover by BJP HQ in Deendayal Upadhyaya Marg in this shameful manner is unseen in Indian Democracy,” he said.

The chief minister is apprised of several media reports about ECI sending a report to the governor “apparently recommending his disqualification as a MLA”, his office said.

The Election Commission has sent its opinion to the governor on a plea seeking that Soren be disqualified as an MLA for violating electoral law by extending a mining lease to himself, sources said. The opinion was sent to the Raj Bhavan in a sealed cover this morning, they said.

Also Read: Jharkhand illegal-mining case: ED arrests middleman Prem Prakash

The governor is scheduled to reach Ranchi from Delhi in the afternoon and only then details could be known, Raj Bhavan sources said.

The BJP, the petitioner in the case, has sought Soren’s disqualification for violating section 9A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which deals with disqualification for government contracts.

Under Article 192 of the Constitution, if any question arises as to whether a member of a House of the Legislature of a state has become subject to any of the disqualifications, the question shall be referred to the governor whose decision shall be final.

Also Read: After Maharashtra, will it be Soren’s Jharkhand next?

Godda’s BJP MP Nishikant Dubey in a tweet announced that the Election Commission letter has reached the governor. “The Election Commission letter has reached the Governor…I had announced that it will be done within August…,” he tweeted.

(With inputs from agencies)