Champai Soren-led JMM-Congress government wins Jharkhand trust vote

Jharkhand’s JMM-led coalition government headed by Chief Minister Champai Soren won the vote of confidence in the assembly on Monday.

While 47 MLAs voted in favour of the confidence motion, 29 legislators opposed it in the 81-member assembly. Independent legislator Saryu Roy abstained.

Seventy-seven MLAs were present in the assembly during the voting.

The ruling alliance comprises the JMM, Congress and the RJD while it is supported from outside by the lone CPIML(L) legislator.

The BJP-led opposition has 26 legislators of the saffron party and three of the AJSU Party.

JMM legislature party leader Champai Soren took oath as the chief minister of Jharkhand on February 2, after his predecessor Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate last week in a money laundering case.

Champai Soren was given 10 days to prove his government’s majority on the floor of the house. He decided that the trust vote will be held on February 5.

Hemant Soren, who is in ED custody now, took part in the trust vote following permission granted by a special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court.

About 38 legislators of the ruling alliance had gone to Hyderabad, the capital of Congress-ruled Telangana, in two flights on February 2, amid the coalition's fears that the BJP might attempt to "poach" them in the run-up to the trust vote. They returned to Ranchi on Sunday evening ahead of the trust vote.