Jharkhand Floor Test today: The Jharkhand government under Chief Minister Champai Soren is set to seek a vote of confidence on the opening day of the two-day assembly session on Monday.

JMM-led alliance MLAs have so far put up a united front, claiming the support of 48 to 50 legislators in the 81-member Assembly, at least 7 more than the majority mark of 41. Former Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who was arrested by the ED and sent to judicial custody by a special PMLA court in a money-laundering case, has been allowed to attend the session to cast his vote during the floor test today.

Also Read:JMM alliance huddle in Hyderabad ahead of the floor test on February 5

The alliance, comprising Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Congress, and Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD), currently holds 47 MLAs, with additional support from a single CPI(M-L) legislator.

Congress leader and state minister Alamgir Alam said, “Our MLAs are united, and we are confident in securing the support needed for a successful confidence vote.”

Meanwhile, Congress contends that the BJP’s attempts to “break” the party and the RJD in Bihar will also “fail miserably.”

In a statement on social media platform X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh stated, “On January 28, Nitish Kumar resigns as CM of Bihar. On the same day, Nitish Kumar is sworn in as CM of Bihar and given until February 12 to prove his alliance’s majority on the floor of the Assembly.”

Ramesh continued, “On January 31, Hemant Soren resigns as CM of Jharkhand, and on February 2, Champai Soren is sworn in as CM of Jharkhand, with a deadline until February 5 to demonstrate his alliance’s majority in the Jharkhand Assembly.”

“The G-2, i.e. the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, feel that they can do ‘Horse-Trading’ faster in Jharkhand than in Bihar. But they are going to get a big shock. INDIA Group will easily win the trust vote in Jharkhand today and all the efforts of BJP to break RJD and Congress in Bihar will fail miserably,” he added.

Also Read:Jharkhand Ministers List 2024: Full list of ministers and portfolios in Champai Soren-led Cabinet

However, the opposition BJP remains steadfast in its prediction of the coalition’s defeat. Biranchi Narayan, chief whip of the BJP, cited the perceived lack of confidence in the coalition, emphasising the strict surveillance of MLAs during their stay in Hyderabad.

The political drama unfolded as around 38 legislators, fearing potential ‘poaching’ attempts, flew to Hyderabad, the capital of Congress-ruled Telangana, on February 2.

Also Read:Ahead of trust vote tomorrow, JMM alliance MLAs leave from Hyderabad

Returning from Hyderabad on Sunday evening, MLAs from the ruling alliance remained confident in their ability to secure victory in the impending trust vote.

Champai Soren, JMM legislature party leader, assumed the role of Chief Minister on February 2 after his predecessor Hemant Soren’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case.

The former CM, Hemant Soren, is currently in Enforcement Directorate custody, facing allegations in a money laundering case. Despite this, a special PMLA court has granted Hemant Soren permission to participate in the crucial trust vote, scheduled for Monday.