Ranchi | The MLAs of Jharkhand's JMM-led alliance exuded confidence to win the trust vote in the assembly on Monday, soon after their return to Ranchi from Hyderabad on Sunday evening.
The legislators landed at the Birsa Munda Airport here in a chartered flight and were taken to the Circuit House in the city in two buses.
"Our MLAs are united... We have the support of 48 to 50 legislators," minister Alamgir Alam said.
JMM lawmaker Mithilesh Thakur also asserted that the JMM-led coalition will sail through the trust vote.
"Many BJP legislators are also in support of the alliance in the state," he claimed.
However, Biranchi Narain, Chief Whip of the BJP, said the coalition was set to lose the vote of confidence on Monday.
He said the MLAs in Hyderabad were kept under strict surveillance, which indicates that they were not confident of winning.
The opposition BJP convened its legislature party’s meeting on Sunday to chalk out its strategy in the House.
"The saffron party will oppose the trust motion in the House tomorrow as Champai Soren, after taking oath as chief minister, had said he will take ahead the programmes of the previous Hemant Soren government.
“This reflects it is the Hemant Soren government part 2, which will also indulge in corruption and malpractices," Narayan alleged.
The MLAs of the ruling JMM-led alliance were at a resort in Hyderabad for the past three days before leaving for Ranchi on Sunday evening.
About 38 legislators had gone to Hyderabad in two flights on February 2, amid the coalition's fears that the BJP might attempt to "poach" them in the run-up to the trust vote.
A video released by the coalition on Thursday had claimed the support of 43 legislators in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly.
The Champai Soren-led alliance government in Jharkhand will seek a vote of confidence on Monday, the first day of the two-day assembly session.
Soren was administered the oath of office by Governor C P Radhakrishnan at the Raj Bhavan on February 2.
Along with him, senior Congress leader Alamgir Alam and RJD leader Satyanand Bhokta took oath as ministers.
JMM legislature party leader Champai Soren took oath as the chief minister on Friday, after his predecessor Hemant Soren was arrested by the ED on Wednesday in a money laundering case.
A special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court has allowed him to participate in the trust vote.
Hemant Soren was remanded to ED custody for five days by the court on Friday.
The alliance between the JMM, Congress and RJD has 47 MLAs, and it is supported from outside by a lone CPIML(L) legislator.
Ranchi | A day before the Champai Soren government in Jharkhand is scheduled to face a floor test, senior JMM leader Lobin Hembrom on Sunday claimed that wrong advice led to Hemant Soren's arrest by the ED.
Hemant Soren, the former chief minister, has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case.
"Hemant Soren repeatedly ignored my advice and eventually landed in jail... he has always been surrounded by wrong advisors," Hembrom a lawmaker from Borio seat in Sahibganj district, told reporters.
Hembrom squarely blamed Hemant Soren's personal and media advisors, besides advisors from Jharkhand Mukti Morcha for his plight.
He also objected to the move by the JMM-led alliance to shift MLAs to Hyderabad.
Hembrom expressed displeasure over "such expenditure at a time when Jharkhand's majority populace struggled to meet both ends".
He also demanded the implementation of the Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act and Santhal Parganas Tenancy Act. Both the Acts prohibit the sale of tribal land to non-tribals.
Hembrom also demanded a ban on liquor sale in the state.
On his participation in the floor test on Monday, Hembrom said he would support the Champai Soren government.
The Champai Soren-led coalition government in Jharkhand will seek a vote of trust on February 5 during a special two-day assembly session.
JMM legislature party leader Champai Soren took oath as the chief minister on Friday after Hemant Soren was arrested by the ED on Wednesday in a money laundering case.
A special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court has allowed him to participate in the trust vote sought by the new government.
He was remanded to ED custody for five days by the court on Friday.
The alliance, between the JMM, Congress and RJD, has 47 MLAs in the 81-member Jharkhand assembly and is supported from outside by the lone CPIML (L) legislator.
