Proving wrong all critics who said it would be a Herculean task to prove majority in the House, Chief Minister Hemant Soren smoothly crossed the first hurdle by winning the vote of confidence in the Assembly on Thursday.
The ruling coalition finally managed to gather all its legislators despite legal bottlenecks. Hemant got support of 43 MlAs in the 82-member House, while the Opposition could garner only 37 votes. MlA Nizamuddin Ansari of the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha abstained from voting. He was, later, suspended from primary membership of the party by Babulal Marandi on grounds of defying party whip.
The drama of ‘tainted’ MlAs begun as early as 11:02 am, when Hemant’s sister in-law and Jama MlA Sita Soren appeared at the Assembly to cast her vote. Sita had earlier secured bail from a city police station.
Next was Congress’ Sawana lakra (11:08 am). lakra had earlier got permission from the high court to attend the special session of Assembly, though the court had left the decision on allowing him to vote, to the Speaker. Finally, at 3:20 pm, JMM MlA Nalin Soren reached House after he surrendered before the State Vigilance Bureau.
Earlier, House proceedings began with a brief speech by Speaker CP Singh congratulating the new Government and asking it to face challenges ahead. He appealed to the Opposition to maintain its dignity while discharge responsibilities. Singh said he was hurt with statements by his fellow members about his resignation. “I have remained neutral and have maintained the dignity of the House. If anybody is hurt with my behaviour, I extend my apologies,” he added.
Speaking against the motion, leader of Opposition and former CM Arjun Munda said the present Government was made by putting the Assembly’s dignity at stake. “Perhaps, for the first time in the country, such kind of a report was sent by the Governor to the Union so the Assembly was not dissolved until the Congress did the necessary manoeuvering. The Government has been made particularly keeping in mind the lok Sabha election in 2014. It doesn’t have to do anything with interests of the people,” Munda noted.
“This Government might prove majority in the House but it doesn’t have majority in the janata darbar (people’s court) because they (the coalition) have stopped development process of the State,” he added.
Former Deputy CM Raghuwar Das said the Congress was looting Jharkhand just like the British did with India. “We have also formed coalitions but not like this. The Congress has encouraged horse-trading and misused President’s Rule. This Government is made out of compulsion and helplessness, it’s not strong,” Das said.
Pradeep Yadav of the JVM, speaking against the motion, warned the JMM and RJD of Congress’ “evil” intentions. Citing examples of Madhu Koda and lalu Prasad, he said, “The Government has been made to save some politicians from the gallows of CBI. The Congress wants crutches to form the Government and JMM doesn’t have a permanent ally. How will this Government workIJ One key is there in Delhi with Sonia Gandhi and the other is there in Patna with lalu,” he quipped.
Delivering the Government’s answer after some five hours of debate, Chief Minister Hemant Soren said the time was ripe for all parties to introspect why such situations had arisen in which everyone blamed each other.