Arjun Munda to prove majority today

RANCHI: Jharkhand chief minister Arjun Munda will prove his majority on the floor of the 80-member house on Tuesday as directed by governor M O H Farooq.

The venue of the Assembly session will be the Administrative Training Institute since the legislature building is being renovated.

“As the state Assembly is being renovated, the one-day session will be held at the Administrative Training Institute at 11 am,” Assembly speaker C P Singh told reporters here.

The House, which had a strength of 82 members, has been reduced to 80 following the death of Congress MLA Gopal Nath Shahdeo and nominated MLA from the Anglo-Indian community J P Galstaun recently, Mr Singh said.

Asked whether he had received intimation of attending the session from Enos Ekka (Jharkhand Party-Ekka ), Harinarain Rai (IND) and Paulus Surin ( JMM) currently in judicial custody , the speaker replied, "Not yet." Only Mr Surin among the three supports the Munda government.

Mr Ekka and Mr Rai were arrested by the vigilance bureau nearly a year ago in connection with disproportionate assets case while Mr Surin was arrested on Naxal charges. All of them won the November Assembly elections from judicial custody. Mr Munda had staked claim on September 7 and was administered the oath by the governor on September 11 along with AJSU president Sudesh Mahto and JMM leader Hemant Soren.