Ranchi, Feb 2 (PTI) Soon after Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Champai Soren was sworn in as the chief minister of the state, MLAs of the ruling JMM-led coalition flew to Hyderabad from Ranchi.
A senior leader of the coalition said that the decision to shift the legislators to Hyderabad, the capital of Congress-ruled Telangana, was taken considering that the opposition BJP may make attempts to “poach” them.
“We were given 10 days to prove the government’s majority. We can’t take any chance during the period as the BJP might try to contact our MLAs,” the senior leader told PTI.
Congress leader Banna Gupta whose party is a constituent of the ruling alliance said, “As many as 38 MLAs flew to Hyderabad. Several others stayed back.” A video released by the JMM-led coalition on Thursday showed the support of 43 legislators in the 81-member Jharkhand assembly.
Amid concerns over the delay in the appointment of Champai Soren as the next chief minister by Governor C P Radhakrishnan on Thursday, the majority alliance had taken steps to shift its MLAs out of Jharkhand in chartered flights.
However, the planes could not take off on Thursday night due to poor visibility and the MLAs had to return to Circuit House here after a two-hour wait at the airport.
Earlier on Friday, Champai Soren took oath as the chief minister of the state.
Champai Soren, who was the transport minister, became the new leader of the JMM legislature party after Hemant Soren’s resignation as the chief minister on Wednesday night following a marathon interrogation by the ED in a money laundering case, and his subsequent arrest. PTI NAM/SAN NN BDC
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