Jharkhand governor Ramesh Bais statement on Wednesday of seeking a second opinion from the Election Commission of India (ECI) in a case of office-of-profit against chief minister Hemant Soren has again triggered a political storm in the UPA ruled state.

Ramesh Bais, who is a former MP from Raipur and had been to his village in Chhattisgarh for Diwali, during an interview to a TV news channel on Wednesday, claimed that “an atom bomb could explode any time in Jharkhand”, apparently indicating towards his pending decision in the matter.

Following a petition by the BJP before the governor earlier this year seeking Soren’s disqualification from the Assembly in the office-of-profit case, the Election Commission had sent its decision to the Jharkhand governor on August 25, sparking a political crisis in the state.

Though the EC’s decision has not yet been made official, there were reports in media that the poll panel has recommended the chief minister’s disqualification as an MLA in connection with a mining lease near Ranchi.

Earlier, in September talking to reporters on the sideline of a health department programme in Ranchi the governor had said that the “sealed envelope of ECI has been pasted so hard that it is difficult to open it”.

While in October in Ranchi, the governor speaking to reporters had said that “it was his prerogative when to disclose the ECI content in the envelope”.

When the TV news channel reporter on Wednesday asked about Soren’s cabinet colleagues accusing Bais of acting with vendetta to destabilise the Jharkhand government, the governor said:

“Look, if my intention was that, I could have taken a decision based on the recommendation of the Election Commission. But, I didn’t want to take any action to defame anyone or with an intention of vendetta.”

“I am holding a constitutional post and I have to protect the Constitution. No one should point fingers at me saying I have acted out of revenge, therefore I have asked for a second opinion,” the governor told the news channel.

Bais, however, did not elaborate on the EC’s recommendation and from whom he has sought a second opinion.

Asked whether a big decision will come to fore after receiving the second opinion, the governor told the reporter, “Bursting crackers is banned in Delhi but not in Jharkhand. May be one atom bomb could explode there.”

On October 15, Hemant Soren speaking to reporters had said this was the first such case in which “a criminal or an accused” is pleading for punishment while the constitutional authorities that should have pronounced judgment are silent.

Soren was referring to the threats of his disqualification as an MLA on the basis of the purported EC advisory to governor Bais in the office-of-profit case following a petition by the BJP.

Incidentally, in August the ruling UPA delegation had met the governor to clear the uncertainty and disclose the ECI opinion, followed by Soren personally in September while the chief minister’s legal counsel had approached ECI for a copy of the opinion and finally earlier this

month JMM central general secretary Vinod Pandey had filed an RTI with governor’s secretariat to know the EC opinion.

The Soren government last month won the confidence vote in the Assembly by a comfortable margin amid apprehension that MLAs of the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Congress and RJD would be poached to bring down the JMM-led regime in the state.

JMM central general secretary-cum-party spokesperson Vinod Pandey said that the governor’s statement has put a question mark on the constitutional post.

“Such irresponsible statements put a question mark on the dignity of a constitutional post. It seems ECI is being pressured to give opinion by the governor, otherwise there was no need for a second opinion in the first case,” said Pandey.

Ranchi-based JMM leader and spokesperson Tanuj Khettri went a step further by stating, “JMM supporters are not cowards and know to shoot bows and arrows and have proved time and again to give befitting reply to bombs and crackers.”

Meanwhile, sources in the governor’s secretariat admitted that no such opinion has been sent for a second opinion.

The governor returned to Ranchi on Thursday evening.