JMM takes RTI route to know ECI opinion on Hemant’s fate 

Ranchi, Oct 8: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has exercised Right to Information (RTI) Act to know the content of the letter by Election Commission of India (ECI) to Jharkhand Governor Ramesh Bais after failing to get their request accepted despite meeting the Governor.

The RTI has been exercised with the signature of JMM general secretary Vinod Kumar Pandey. He has also shared the copy of the application given to the Public Information Officer of the governor secretariat exercising the Act.

The exercise has been done exactly 15 days after governor Ramesh Bais during programme at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in a lighter vein expressed his inability to share the content sent by ECI saying “lifafa intna chipka hai ki khul nahi raha hai (envelope is so stuck that it is not opening)”.

The ECI had sent its opinion on August 25 after the governor sought its opinion on the issue of office of profit involving chief minister Hemant Soren. The opinion was sought when BJP legislator party chief Babulal Marandi lodged a complaint before the governor regarding misuse of official position for personal gain by the chief minister.

Significantly, earlier in September Hemant Soren had met Governor Ramesh Bais and urged him to clear the confusion prevailing in the State over the ECI’s reported opinion on his “disqualification” as a member of the State Legislative Assembly in connection with the office-of-profit case.

“Provide a copy of the decision of the Election Commission and provide an opportunity for reasonable hearing at the earliest so that the atmosphere of uncertainty engulfing the state, which is dangerous for healthy democracy, can be removed soon,” Soren had urged the Governor in a two-page letter submitted to him.

Soren had also said that the Opposition BJP in the State had been using the uncertainty to “destabilize a democratically elected government by trying to poach ruling UPA (United Progressive Alliance) MLAs”.

Hemant Soren legal team had in September approached the Election Commission of India (ECI), seeking a copy of the opinion the poll watchdog sent to governor Ramesh Bais in August on the office of profit row surrounding his mining lease.