Jharkhand political crisis: Congress, JMM need to introspect, instead blaming BJP, says Arjun Munda

New Delhi [India], August 31 : Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda slammed Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel for accusing Bharatiya Janata Party of indulging in horse-trading and creating political unrest in Jharkhand and said that the allies of coalition government should introspect rather than blaming BJP.
It is pertinent to mention that Bhupesh Baghel had said the UPA coalition government in Jharkhand shifted its MLAs to Raipur to protect them from being poached in view of the BJP's "horse-trading" tactics.
In a counter-attack on Hemant Soren's government in Jharkhand, Munda said that Congress is trying to avoid the public by making such ridiculous statements.
"Congress is trying to avoid public by making baseless statements on such things. Now, in Congress, there are many senior leaders who want to leave the party in fact many have left," Munda said.
Notably, 31 MLAs and ministers of the ruling coalition in Jharkhand on Tuesday shifted to the Mayfair resort in Chhattisgarh's capital Raipur amid political uncertainty over reports that Chief Minister Hemant Soren could be disqualified as an MLA. Baghel also went to meet the legislators.
The legislators went to Raipur in an apparent effort by the Chief Minister to keep his flock together. The ruling coalition in Jharkhand includes JMM, Congress and RJD. Sources said those who went to Raipur include 13 from Congress including four ministers and 18 MLAs of JMM. They said that ministers belonging to JMM did not go.
Munda took a dig at the Soren government, saying that "if their MLAs are all together, why are they afraid of losing the government?
Citing JMM MLA Lobin Hembrom's statement, Munda said," If the MLAs of JMM are saying that they will continue to work together with UPA in the government, then why are they worried."
JMM MLA Lobin Hembrom earlier on Wednesday said, "I do not see any political instability. They (Jharkhand MLAs in Chhattisgarh) have not revealed why they are in another location. I am not going astray, I am and will remain in the party. If MLAs have gone there to make strategies, it should have been done here also."

"Still, I trust all the UPA MLAs, that they will be united, and will not be bought. The Govt will continue," he added.
Taking a jibe at the leadership of the Congress party, Arjun Munda said that many leaders of many parts of the country are leaving the party which is creating discontent.
"Taking its own party legislators to resort shows distrust within its party MLAs and which has created this type of situation. The party should work instead of treating everyone with suspicion and they should have faith in their MLAs," Munda criticised Congress for not trusting its own party MLAs.
Lashing out at the Jharkhand government, he said, "The government itself is unstable and the state administrative system is all crumbling. Will they hold BJP responsible for all these things?"
"As far as the matter of Hemant Soren's disqualification is concerned, the matter is in the cognizance of Election Commission," the minister said on possible disqualification from the state assembly over a mining lease contract.
Speaking on mid-term polls, he said that it is not appropriate to comment on mid-term polls, it is too early to say anything on such things.
Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren on Tuesday told reporters at the Ranchi airport that the ruling alliance is prepared to face every situation.
"No unforeseen incident is going to take place. We are ready for everything and the situation is under our control. I will let you know if I will also go with the MLAs," he said.
He said action is taken according to a strategy. "You will see how nicely the ruling alliance gives reply to a conspiracy," Soren said.
Notably, In the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, the ruling alliance has 30 MLAs of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), 18 MLAs of the Congress and one MLA of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).