BJP leader L.K. Advani in New Delhi on Saturday. (PTI)

Ranchi, March 25: National Democratic Alliance leaders in Jharkhand today bristled at governor Syed Sibtey Razi for playing “his old tricks”.

Alluding to Razi’s move to swear in Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Shibu Soren as chief minister a year ago, they felt he had again acted in a partisan manner while seeking the Election Commission’s opinion on petitions for disqualifying several NDA legislators for allegedly holding offices of profit.

The governor, however, did a balancing act when he forwarded a similar petition to the poll panel against five UPA legislators belonging to the Congress and the JMM.

But bitter NDA leaders continued their tirade. Razi should have made preliminary inquiries, they said, and verified the allegations before seeking the commission’s opinion.

Accusing Raj Bhavan of furnishing half-baked information to the panel, BJP legislator Sarayu Roy said: “It would have been better if he had first gathered all available information from the legislators themselves, the government or the Assembly.”

Even the commission, the NDA leaders said, has been complaining of the shabby nature of the complaints forwarded by the governor. Chief election commissioner B.B. Tandon has said the petitions are not supported by adequate evidence.

The NDA also accused the governor of undermining the dignity of his office.

Chief minister Arjun Munda said: “Everybody holding constitutional posts should see to it that the dignity of their office is not compromised.”

Roy, who is one of the NDA legislators accused of holding an office of profit, said: “A year ago, the governor had failed to put a UPA government in the saddle despite his best and partisan efforts. Therefore, it is not surprising that we do nurse misgivings and we apprehend that he is again working with similar designs in mind.”

Roy said he has shot off a letter to the poll panel complaining of the misleading and incomplete information furnished by the governor.

A plane is being chartered to fly the 41 NDA legislators to Ajmer in Rajasthan on a pilgrimage.

BJP leader and finance minister Raghuvar Das confirmed the plans and said it had nothing to do with the current political developments. “We had taken a vow to offer chaddar at the shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti if we managed to form a government in the state. We are simply fulfilling that vow,” he said.