Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren's majority test today amid political crisis

Ranchi: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, whose job is in trouble over allegations of corruption, will take a test of his majority today amid allegations by the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led coalition that the BJP is trying to topple the government by engineering defections.

Soren had expressed his willingness to move a motion of confidence to prove his majority as per a letter sent to the MLAs by the Assembly secretariat.

Soren will take a trust vote in a special one-day Jharkhand assembly session. MLAs of the ruling coalition flew back into the state capital Ranchi yesterday on a special flight from Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh, where they were sequestered at the state guest house to prevent any poaching attempts.

Soren also called a meeting with the MLAs yesterday.

The opposition BJP says Hemant Soren must be disqualified as an MLA over allegations that he violated election norms by giving himself a mining lease. The party has called for fresh elections and has demanded that the Chief Minister resign "on moral grounds".

Soren and his party JMM have accused the BJP of trying to take advantage of the crisis and lure MLAs of the ruling coalition to cross over and bring down the elected government, following the pattern in states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka.

The Election Commission has submitted its opinion to the Governor, who is expected to announce his decision on Soren any day.

The ruling coalition has 49 MLAs in the 81-member assembly in which the majority mark is 41. The JMM, the largest party, has 30 MLAs, the Congress 18, and Tejashwi Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has one.

The BJP, which is the main opposition, has 26 MLAs.