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Champai Soren has said 47 MLAs are supporting him

Ranchi:

There is no government in Jharkhand for 18 hours now and a situation of confusion has emerged, Chief Minister-in-waiting Champai Soren has told Governor CP Radhakrishnan, urging him to take immediate steps for government formation. The Governor, it is learnt, has now called Mr Soren at 5.30 pm.

Mr Soren was yesterday chosen the legislative party leader of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha after Hemant Soren stepped down as the Chief Minister and was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a corruption case.

In his letter to the Governor, Champai Soren said he had yesterday submitted a letter of support signed by 47 MLAs from JMM, Congress and RJD — more than the majority mark in the 81-member Assembly — to the Governor. He added that all the MLAs had accompanied him to the Raj Bhavan, but were not allowed inside.

“Sir, currently there is no government in the state for the last 18 hours. There is a situation of confusion. Being the constitutional head, we, the MLAs, and the people of the state expect that you will soon take steps for the formation of a popular government and take the state out of confusion,” he wrote in Hindi.

Champai Soren added that he can take all the MLAs backing him to the Governor’s residence to assure him that he has majority support.

Hemant Soren is being investigated in connection with an alleged racket of illegal change of land ownership by mafia in Jharkhand.

The JMM leader has alleged that the probe agency has abused its power to destabilise a democratically elected government. Hemant Soren has approached the Supreme Court on the issue and the petition has been listed for tomorrow.

“The Enforcement Directorate is brazenly acting under the dictates of the Central Government and hounding the petitioner to destabilise a democratically elected government headed by the petitioner, who is the Chief Minister of the State of Jharkhand,” he has said in the petition.