Ranchi, Oct. 25: Jharkhand politics is passing through a piquant phase. The distinction between the ruling and the Opposition is obscure.

Some political parties have their legislators in both the camps. Several MLAs have switched sides to suit their design contradicting the party leadership’s decision. Worse, the Speaker has remained a mute spectator to these.

The All Jharkhand Students’ Union (Ajsu) has two legislators in the House. While former home minister Sudesh Mahto, the party chief, is in the Opposition, Chandra Prakash Chaudhary, the other MLA, is a minister.

Mahato, however, asserted his party was in the Opposition. “The party has asked Chaudhary to make his position clear,” he added.

On why didn’t he file a petition under the anti-defection law with the Speaker, Mahto said: “We have no faith in the Speaker.”

Cut to the Forward Bloc. The party has two MLAs — Aparna Sengupta and Bhanu Pratap Sahi. Even as the Bloc has withdrawn its support to the government, Sahi is a minister. Sengupta seats in the Opposition bench, though.

The stand of five BJP MLAs — Ravindra Rai, Kunti Devi, Pradeep Yadav, Vishnu Bhaiya and Manohar Tekriwal — is equally intriguing. They openly backed Babulal Marandi’s Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM). But in response to a showcause notice served on them by the Speaker under the anti-defection law, the MLAs stated that they were with the BJP.

The BJP, too, in its list of MLAs submitted to the Speaker, counted them in its ranks.

Former Speaker Inder Singh Namdhari described the entire scenario as a case of political insolvency. “Jharkhand is the only state where the divide between the Opposition and the ruling has gone for a six for personal gains,” he said.

Former chief minister Arjun Munda squarely blamed the Speaker for such valueless politics in the state.

Alam, however, said action against the erring MLAs would be taken at an appropriate time.