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Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday tabled a confidence motion in the Jharkhand Assembly, claiming that opposition BJP's attempt to poach MLAs prompted the move.

"The opposition has destroyed democracy... BJP has been indulging in horse-trading of legislators... We will show our strength in the House," Soren said in the assembly.

"People purchase commodities in the market, but the BJP buys legislators, he alleged.

Soren is faced with uncertainty over his continuance as chief minister following a petition by the BJP seeking his disqualification as an MLA in an office-of-profit case.

The Election Commission (EC) had communicated its opinion in this regard to Governor Ramesh Bais on August 25, sparking a political crisis in the state.

Though the EC's decision has not yet been made official, there is a buzz that the poll panel recommended the CM's disqualification as an MLA.

Soren then expressed his willingness to move a motion of confidence to prove his majority, as per a letter sent to MLAs by the assembly secretariat.

The JMM-Congress-RJD alliance believes a trust vote would send the message to the people that the ruling combine was united despite the uncertainty over governor Ramesh Bais’s silence on the opinion the Election Commission submitted to him 10 days ago on the question of the disqualification of Soren as MLA in an office of profit case related to a mining lease that the chief minister has since surrendered.

Amid an intensifying crisis and allegations of BJP attempts of poaching to topple the government, the governor flew to Delhi on Friday.

Bais, who received the EC’s opinion on August 25, had sought it following a complaint by the BJP. Most of the MLAs of the ruling combine who had been shifted to a resort in Raipur in Congress ruled Chhattisgarh to ring fence them from possible poaching were brought back to Ranchi in a chartered aircraft on Sunday evening and kept in a government facility.

The ruling alliance has 49 MLAs in the 81 member Assembly while the BJP has 26. All but three ruling MLAs, a Congress trio arrested in Bengal with Rs 49 lakh in cash that is suspected to be incentive for defection, are expected to vote on Monday. The three MLAs have obtained bail but have been told not to leave Calcutta.

Soren has been battling an all out attack by the BJP, which has alleged deteriorating law and order after a Dumka schoolgirl died in an acid attack and another girl in Chatra was targeted in similar fashion.

The chief minister has ordered the payment of Rs 10 lakh in compensation to the family in Dumka and arranged an air ambulance to shift the Chatra girl to Delhi for better treatment. Soren has ordered the rehabilitation of about 50 Dalit families whose huts were demolished in Palamau district by a mob and stopped the eviction of another group in Ranchi that faced displacement because of constructions under a smart city project.

Soren has been congratulated by government employees for reintroducing a pension scheme and by assistant police personnel for extending their contractual service. They visited the chief minister’s residence with bands and thanked him personally. The BJP legislatures met in Ranchi on Sunday to discuss their strategy for Monday’s Assembly session.