Hindustan Times (Delhi)

CM Soren moves HC to restrain Guv from taking action on EC’S opinion

- Vishal Kant letters@hindustant­imes.com

RANCHI: Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren on Monday approached the Jharkhand high court seeking directions to restrain governor Ramesh Bais from initiating any action on the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) opinion of the office of profit row surroundin­g his now-scrapped mining lease.

A political crisis gripped the state on August 25 after ECI sent a report to the governor, ostensibly recommendi­ng Soren’s disqualifi­cation as an MLA for allegedly holding a mining licence, in violation of the Representa­tion of People’s Act, 1951.

But the governor has neither made the recommenda­tion public, nor decided on it so far.

According to Soren’s counsel Piyush Chitresh, the writ petition also referred to recent media reports that said the governor sought a second opinion from the poll watchdog on the matter.

This came even as ECI officials said no further opinion was sought by the governor.

“We have a two-fold prayer in the petition. First, to restrain the governor from taking any action in furtheranc­e to the ECI opinion sent to Raj Bhavan in reference to the chief minister’s mining lease,” Chitresh said.

“We have seen media reports saying the governor sought a second opinion from ECI on the issue... There have also been conflictin­g media reports that ECI has denied having received any such second opinion. This is creating a state of confusion... We have prayed that, if at all, ECI gives a second opinion, it should first give the petitioner an opportunit­y to be heard...” he added. HT reached out to an ECI official for a response on the matter but did not get one immediatel­y. An official at Raj Bhavan refused to comment.

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