Amid Jharkhand political crisis, UPA MLAs to convene at CM Soren's residence today

Amid a political crisis in Jharkhand, a third meeting of UPA legislators on the second consecutive day has been called at Chief Minister Hemant Soren's residence today at 11am, sources reported. 

There is a possible threat that Soren could be "disqualified" as an MLA.

A future course of action will be taken if Governor Ramesh Bais communicates on the Election Commission's ruling about a possible disqualification of the CM as an MLA for violating electoral norms. The MLAs are expected to hold another meeting in the evening.

The Election Commission sent its opinion to Bais on August 26 on a plea seeking that Soren be disqualified as an MLA for violating electoral norms by extending a mining lease to himself. 

Rural Development and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Alamgir Alam, however, said the "MLAs of the ruling alliance cannot be poached and will stay in Ranchi".

Another Minister Mithilesh Thakur claimed that the ruling coalition has the magic number of "50 MLAs, which can go up to 56".

JMM's Vinod Pandey stated that Soren will continue as the chief minister, while ruling out the option of any 'resort politics'. 

Meanwhile, Raj Bhavan sources said the governor may take a call by the evening on the Election Commission's views on "disqualification" of the chief minister as an MLA. The opinion was sent to the Jharkhand Raj Bhavan in a sealed cover.

The BJP, the petitioner in the case, has sought Soren's disqualification for violating Section 9(A) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which deals with disqualification for government contracts.

The issue was referred to the governor and by him to the EC, as Article 192 of the Constitution states that on rulings regarding an MLA's disqualification, the question shall be referred to the governor who in turn "shall obtain the opinion of the Election Commission and shall act according to such opinion".