INDIA bloc will easily win trust vote in Jharkhand: Congress

Ahead of the trust vote in the Jharkhand Assembly, the Congress on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are in for a "big shock" as the INDIA bloc will easily win the vote of confidence.

The Champai Soren-led alliance government in Jharkhand will seek a vote of confidence on Monday, 5 January the first day of the two-day assembly session.

The Congress asserted that the BJP's attempts at "breaking" the party and the RJD in Bihar will also "fail miserably".

In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "On 28th January, Nitish Kumar resigns as CM of Bihar. On 28th January, Nitish Kumar is sworn-in as CM of Bihar and given time till February 12 for proving his alliance's majority on the floor of the Assembly."

On January 31, Hemant Soren resigns as CM of Jharkhand and on February 2, Champai Soren is sworn-in as CM of Jharkhand and given time till February 5 to prove his alliance's majority on the floor of the Jharkhand Assembly, Ramesh said.

"Clearly the G-2, the PM and HM, are thinking that 'horse-trading' will be quicker in Jharkhand than in Bihar. They are in for a big shock," the Congress leader said.

"The INDIA group will easily win the vote of confidence today in Jharkhand and the BJP's attempts at breaking RJD and INC in Bihar will also fail miserably," Ramesh said.

The MLAs of Jharkhand's JMM-led alliance had also exuded confidence to win the trust vote in the assembly on Monday, soon after their return to Ranchi from Hyderabad on Sunday evening.

The legislators landed at the Birsa Munda Airport here in a chartered flight and were taken to the Circuit House in the city in two buses.

The MLAs of the ruling JMM-led alliance were at a resort in Hyderabad for the past three days before leaving for Ranchi on Sunday evening.

About 38 legislators had gone to Hyderabad 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.

A video released by the coalition on Thursday had claimed the support of 43 legislators in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly.

Champai Soren was administered the oath of office by Governor C P Radhakrishnan at the Raj Bhavan on February 2.

Senior Congress leader Alamgir Alam and RJD leader Satyanand Bhokta took oath as ministers.

Champai Soren took oath as the chief minister on Friday, after his predecessor Hemant Soren was arrested by the ED on Wednesday in a money laundering case.

A special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court has allowed Hemant Soren to participate in the trust vote.