Opposition demands dismissal of Jharkhand government

Ranchi, March 20 (IANS) The opposition parties in Jharkhand have demanded removal of the Hemant Soren government as it has been reduced to minority.

"Soren government has been reduced to minority as many legislators supporting the government have switched sides to fight the Lok Sabha polls. Governor Syed Ahmed should take note of it. The BJP is not interested in toppling the government, but the legislators supporting it are leaving the alliance," Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson in Jharkhand Pradeep Sinha told IANS.

Former chief minister and president of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P) Babulal Marandi met the governor Wednesday and demanded dismissal of the government.

"We demanded removal of Soren government as it has been reduced to minority," Marandi told reporters after meeting the governor.

Chandra Shekhar Dubey, a Congress legislator who was a minister in the Soren government, has now been nominated as Trinamool Congress candidate from Dhanbad Lok Sabha constituency.

"This government has been reduced to minority and I will soon meet the governor and request him to convene a special assembly session and ask Soren to prove his majority," Dubey said here Thursday.

Two legislators of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Hemlal Murmu and Vidyut Baran Mahto, have joined the BJP and were nominated from Rajmahal and Jamshedpur Lok Sabha constituencies, respectively.

Two legislators Bandhu Tirkey and Chamra Linda from smaller parties joined the Trinamool Congress. Tirkey and Linda will fight the polls on Trinamool Congress ticket from Ranchi and Lohardaga constituencies, respectively.

Speaker Shashanka Shekhar Bhokta Wednesday said he would suo moto take action against the legislators who have switched parties to fight the election.

Talking to reporters in Deoghar city he said: "No party has informed about the legislators changing side to fight the polls. I can take suo moto action as it comes under anti-defection law of the constitution."

The JMM claims that the party enjoys majority.

In the 82-member assembly, Soren has the support of 43 legislators. If the Trinamool Congress, which now has three legislators, takes a stand against Soren then his government will be reduced to minority.