Jharkhand : Hemant Soren’s chair EC recommends disqualification

The Election Commission has recommended to Jharkhand Governor Ramesh Bais to cancel the assembly membership of Chief Minister Hemant Soren. A senior official said the Election Commission has recommended Soren’s disqualification. It is now up to the Governor to decide what view he gives on the recommendation of the Election Commission.

According to sources, the Election Commission has sent a report to the Governor recommending the cancellation of his membership after finding the complaint made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) right. Soren will have to relinquish the chair when he leaves for the legislature. There is a discussion that he can make his wife sit on the CM’s chair.

The hearing in the mining lease case involving Hemant Soren was completed in the Election Commission on August 22, after which the report was sent to the Governor in a sealed cover. The BJP had accused Soren of illegally allotting mining leases in his name. Citing the Representation of the People Act, the BJP had sought to disqualify him as an MLA.

This whole matter is related to the lease of 88 decimal stone quarry mining in Anagada block of Ranchi. The BJP had alleged that Hemant Soren, while holding the post of Chief Minister and Mines Minister, allotted the lease in his name. At the same time, Hemant Soren’s argument was that he got this lease 14 years ago on 17 May 2008 for 10 years. It was not renewed in 2018. Then the lease was renewed in 2021. But till February 4, when the administration did not give permission for mining, he surrendered the lease. Soren had argued that he did not do mining and also did not have any mining lease.