Ranchi: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has got extra time to reply in the matter of ‘office of profit’ before the Election Commission of India (ECI). He has been asked to reply over the matter till June 14 while earlier he was given time up to May 31. The extra time was given after the governor requested the commission to make the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha a party in the matter.
The governor made a request after the JMM urged the governor for the same saying Soren is associated with the JMM and any order coming in the matter from ECI will affect the party. The issue of office of profit arose after the BJP informed the governor that chief minister Soren obtained a mining lease in his name though he was not expected to do so from the post he is holding.
Soren minimized the issue saying the mining lease was in his name since 2008 when he was not chief minister. He said he also surrendered the lease once he realised his mistake but the BJP is making it an issue due to political reasons.