“BJP prepared it”: CM Hemant Soren on “sealed report” about his disqualification

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren Thursday said he hasn’t yet received any communication while he’s seen several media reports and BJP’s statements about the Election Commission “recommending his disqualification as a MLA”.

Contents of the EC’s report aren’t public yet.

“It apparently seems that BJP leaders, including a BJP MP and his puppet journalists, have themselves drafted the ECI report, which is otherwise a sealed cover report,” Soren said in a statement.

After the BJP sought Soren’s disqualification, alleging violation of Section 9A of the Representation of the People Act, the Governor referred the matter to the ECI, as required under Article 192 of the Constitution.

The JMM and Congress accused the BJP of trying to topple the government using money, after three JMM legislators were caught with about ₹ 50 lakh cash in neighbouring Bengal. The BJP has denied those allegations.

Congress, junior partner of Mr Soren’s Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), said that the alliance has the numbers in any case.

“I met the CM, who told me he hasn’t yet got any communication about the sealed report. Let the Governor decide. We are working on our strategy,” said Alamgir Alam, leader of the Congress Legislature Party.