By IANS,
Ranchi : Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren Wednesday said the decision on sacking Rural Development Minister Enos Ekka, who has refused to withdraw his Jharkhand Party’s candidate pitted against Soren in an assembly by-election, would be made public “in a day or two”.
“The decision has already been taken. In a day or two we will inform you about it,” Soren told reporters here when asked about Ekka’s fate.
On Tuesday, Ekka dared Soren to sack him from the cabinet as he would not withdraw his party’s candidate in the assembly by-election.
“There is no question of withdrawing my party’s candidate from the Tamar by-election. Everyone has the right to fight elections in the democratic system,” Ekka said.
On Wednesday, he reiterated that he would not withdraw his party’s candidate.
“It is up to the chief minister to decide my survival in the cabinet,” he told reporters as he arrived at the state assembly complex to attend the winter session.
Ekka’s party has fielded Raja Peter to take on Soren in the Dec 29 by-poll.
Soren last week threatened to sack Ekka if he did not withdraw Peter’s candidature.
Soren, who is not a legislator, needs to get elected to the assembly before Feb 27.
The state United Progressive Alliance (UPA) parties have announced Soren as their joint candidate. He filed his nomination papers on a Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) ticket on Dec 12.
The Tamar assembly seat fell vacant after Janata Dal-United (JD-U) legislator and former minister Ramesh Singh Munda was killed by Maoist rebels a few months ago.
The National Democratic Aalliance (NDA) has decided to field Basundhara Munda, widow of late Ramesh Singh Munda, in the by-election.