The Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) has been demonstrating their preparedness and competence in the electoral battle continuously, especially in the crucial situations with limited mandates to form the government. Manipur, Goa and now followed by Meghalaya exemplifies such traits. The BJP triumph over the INC (Indian National Congress) autocratic assault of 2005, post the Jharkhand State Assembly election, turned into a learning chapter .
Jharkhand Assembly Election of 2005 delivered fractured mandate. However, BJP-led National Democratic Alliance secured 35 seats and emerged as the single largest party. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-Congress combined 25 seats out of the total 81 seats.
After securing the support of 5 independent MLAs, the NDA took the lead to stake its claim to form the government. In front of the then Jharkhand Governor Syed Sibtey Razi , paraded all forty-one MLAs. Despite NDA plea, Syed Sibtey Razi took startling stand and invited Shibhu Soren from JMM to form the government who presented the list of 36 MLAs. The BJP quickly comprehended that after becoming the Chief Minister, Shibu Soren will make all efforts to bag support of the independent MLAs to ensure majority. Under these circumstances,the BJP’s then party president Lal Krishna Advani with Venkaiah Naidu formulated a confidential plan to parade all the 41 MLAs in front of the then President Dr.A P J Abdul Kalam and media to build pressure against the Governor.
The BJP cautiously crafted a decoy plot to carry out the plan. Rumors were circulated at Ranchi airport that NDA will be flying all 41 MLAs to New Delhi by chartered flight and the following day they will be meeting the President of India. But only 36 MLAs were actually flown with 5 party activists who pretended to be independent MLAs. The actual five independent MLAs were taken by road from Ranchi to Durgapur and from Durgapur to Kharagpur. While addressing the media on 2nd March, Lal Krishna Advani informed that the security personals halted the flight in search for independent MLAs.
Subsequently, in Ranchi newly sworn in government went cold-feet and ordered state machinery to ensure that independent MLAs don’t leave the state.The Police began search for independent MLAs and vehicles on road leading to the nearest BJP ruled states of Chattisgarh and Odisha, were checked thoroughly. But then the BJP anticipated it and took an unexpected move to drive the five independent MLAs to Durgapur, which falls under the Communist ruled state of West-Bengal. Later the independent MLAs traveled by train to Bhubaneshwar on March 3. After securing the meeting with the President of India, the independent MLAs were taken to New Delhi. then BJP general secretary Pramod Mahajan ,while addressing media said “Our fear was that in a bid to hold back the MLAs, the central or (Jharkhand) state government might simply file a police complaint or say that they have been kidnapped and detain them, either in Delhi or in Ranchi”, “Hence we had to get them out of Jharkhand and into a state where they would be safe from the Congress.” Desperate and baffled machinery under pressure from aristocratic chieftain were carrying out raid in Ranchi, Delhi and even in Ahmadabad , to cease the BJP from succeeding.
In Delhi, all five independent MLAs were taken to Gujarat Bhavan, where they were presented in front of the media and later along with 36 MLAs of NDA were taken to the President. After a tenure of nine days Governor had to dismiss the Soren government and appointment Arjun Munda as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand with NDA government in power.
Meanwhile, the Congress high command and party president were trying hard to distance themselves from the controversy, the NDA clearly won the moral and legitimate battle against the tyranny.
On 9th March , 2005, The Supreme Court directed the pro-tem Speaker of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly to conduct a composite floor test in the Assembly on March 11th to ascertain who enjoyed the majority — the Chief Minister Shibu Soren, appointed by the Governor or the former Chief Minister, Arjun Munda.
A three-Judge Bench, comprising the Chief Justice R.C. Lahoti, Justice Y.K. Sabharwal and Justice D.M. Dharmadhikari, held that the petitioner, Arjun Munda, had made out a strong prima facie case for a grant of interim relief.
The Bench said, “If the averments of the petitioner are correct, then the action of the Governor (in appointing Mr. Soren) is a fraud on the Constitution. We want to prevent a further fraud on the Constitution by issuing interim directions”.
