31 MLAs of JMM-led coalition have criminal cases against them

The new five-party coalition in Jharkhand which is all set to assume power tomorrow has 31 MLAs with criminal cases against them.

The coalition, headed by JMM, has 44 MLAs in the 81-member assembly.

Leading the pack is Shibu Soren's JMM whose 17 out of 18 MLAs have criminal cases against them, the National Election Watch (NEW) said on the basis of affidavits of the elected legislators.

The only JMM MLA, who has no criminal case against her is Sita Soren, daughter-in-law of Shibu Soren and widow of Durga Soren.

The BJP and AJSU has eight and four MLAs respectively with criminal cases against them. One JD(U) legislator and the lone JJM legislator also has criminal cases against him, the NEW said.

JMM's Dumri MLA Jagannath Mahato is booked under 14 criminal cases while Soren's son Hemant, the newly elected MLA from Dumka, has six cases against him, it said.

BJP's Jharkhand unit president and a strong contender for the deputy chief minister's post Raghubar Das also has criminal cases against him.

Among the BJP MLAs, Ranchi legislator C P Singh has nine cases against him.

11 of the 14 Congress MLAs also have cases against them while eight JVM(P) legislators and four RJD MLAs have cases against them.