Amid a deepening political disaster in Jharkhand, Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Sunday stated he has by way of his counsel sought a replica from the Election Commission (EC) of Governor Ramesh Bais’s request for a “second opinion” in an office-of-profit case.

The request comes within the wake of Bais saying on October 27 that he has sought a “second opinion” within the case and claiming that an “atom bomb could explode any time in Jharkhand”, apparently indicating in the direction of his pending determination within the matter.

“I have sought a copy from the EC of Governor Ramesh Bais’s request for second opinion in office-of-profit case through my counsel,” Soren instructed PTI.

“The counsel has placed on my behalf that the EC will provide an opportunity for fair and effective hearing before giving any opinion pursuant to the second request made by the governor,” the MLA from Barhait stated.

Following a petition by the BJP in search of Soren’s disqualification from the meeting within the office-of-profit case, the EC had despatched its determination to the governor on August 25, triggering a political disaster within the state.

Though the EC’s determination has not but been made official, there’s a buzz that the ballot panel has advisable the chief minister’s disqualification as an MLA in reference to the mining lease.

The Supreme Court on Monday is more likely to pronounce its judgment on the particular depart petition filed by the Chief Minister Soren difficult the maintainability of a PIL associated to the mining lease filed within the Jharkhand High Court earlier this 12 months.

Soren’s counsel Vaibhav Tomar within the letter to the EC has stated that “it transpires from communications received from you and statements made by the governor that you have tendered your opinion in reference case 3(G) of 2022 (Bharatiya Janata Party vs. Hemant Soren) to the governor on August 25, 2022”.

The governor has not communicated his determination within the reference, though greater than two months have elapsed because the fee tendered its opinion beneath Article 192(2) of the Constitution, he stated.

“The commission has further wrongfully declined to furnish a copy of its opinion in reference case 3(G) of 2022 to my client (Soren),” Tomar stated.

“My client has now come to learn from media reports that recently, the governor in a press interview given to the electronic and print media on October 27, 2022, disclosed that the governor has sought a second opinion from the Election Commission of India, which is pending before the Commission,” the chief minister’s counsel stated.

The counsel’s letter stated governor’s interview was extensively reported within the press. However, “my client has not received any notice from the commission in this regard”, it stated.

Tomar has requested for a replica of the request for opinion obtained by EC from the governor.

“My client expects that the Election Commission, being a body constituted by the Constitution of India, shall not tender any opinion pursuant to the second request made by the governor without affording him a fair and effective hearing,” he stated.

In September, Soren’s counsels had sought from the EC a replica of its letter despatched to Governor Bais, carrying its opinion on the JMM chief’s office-of-profit case.

The concern was referred to the governor and by him to the EC, as Article 192 of the Constitution states that on rulings concerning an MLA’s disqualification, the query shall be referred to the governor who in flip “shall obtain the opinion of the Election Commission and shall act according to such opinion”. PTI