New Delhi: The Election Commission of India recommended the disqualification of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren for allegedly extending a mining lease to himself, which is reportedly a violation of the “electoral law”.
The Jharkhand governor had sought ECI’s opinion over a complaint received from the state opposition BJP that chief minister Soren should be disqualified from the assembly as he allegedly holds an office-of-profit by getting a stone chips mining lease in his name.
Soren today said he hasn’t yet received any communication while he’s seen several media reports and BJP’s statements about the Election Commission “recommending his disqualification as a MLA”. The BJP, though, is confident that its plea has succeeded, and sought mid-term polls immediately.
Contents of the EC’s report aren’t public yet.
“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 reacted angrily in a statement.
The BJP, which has accused Soren of giving himself a mining lease and thus sought his disqualification as per the office-of-profit norms, is already moving to the next political step. “Hemant Soren should head towards mid-term polls, on moral grounds,” said BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, “Assembly should be dissolved and there should be elections in all 81 assembly constituencies. BJP has been demanding this.”
After the BJP sought Soren’s disqualification for allegedly violating Section 9A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the Governor referred it to the poll panel, as required under Article 192 of the Constitution. The law says the Governor is bound by the opinion of the EC, which functions as a quasi-judicial body in such matters.
The EC held a series of hearings on the BJP’s plea, hearing both sides and concluding on Monday. On Tuesday, it sent its opinion to Governor Ramesh Bais. Sources said it was received by the Governor’s office the next day. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey also tweeted today that the letter from the EC has reached Raj Bhavan.
During the hearings, on August 12 Soren’s team concluded its arguments, following which the BJP filed its rejoinder. On August 18, both sides submitted written submissions.
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