To prevent ‘BJP’s poaching bid’, Jharkhand shifts MLAs to Chhattisgarh

The MLAs are seen leaving Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s residence in two buses towards the Ranchi airport where a flight has been booked for them to Raipur, sources said. Soren himself is seen on one of the buses.

A Congress legislator, on condition of anonymity, said that they may be shifted to a resort in Raipur in Chhattisgarh, a state with a non-BJP government. Sources in the airport also said a flight for Raipur has been booked for the legislators.

CM Hemant Soren’s party, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), believes that the BJP may make a serious attempt to poach the UPA MLAs in a bid to topple the government in Jharkhand. Recently, Shiv Sena-led coalition government was toppled in Maharashtra.

OPERATION KAMALA IN JHARKHAND?

Back in July, Bengal Police, acting on a tip-off, intercepted an SUV in which three Congress MLAs – identified as Irfan Ansari, Rajesh Kachchap and Naman Bixal Kongari –were travelling with a huge amount of cash in the vehicle, allegedly to be offered to other MLAs to topple the government.

Congress’ Avinash Pande said the three MLAs were allegedly involved in a plot to weaken the legislative party in Jharkhand and also in “misleading” other MLAs. “The party leadership is aware of who all are part of the conspiracy and will take action at an appropriate time,” Congress said.

Following their arrests, Congress MLA from Bermo constituency Kumar Jaimangal Singh has penned a letter of complaint against the three MLAs, alleging that they had called him to Kolkata to take him to Guwahati and meet with Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma.

“Shri Irfan Ansari and Rajesh Kachchap want me to come to Kolkata and then take me to Guwahati where according to him he will make me meet Shri Himanta Biswa Sarma who will give me assurance of a definitive ministerial berth apart from the money,” Kumar Jaimangal Singh alleged in the letter.

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