The Chhattisgarh

Tag: champai soren

  • Ex-Jharkhand CM Champai Soren Joins BJP |

    Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren, a long-time leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), has officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The move comes just days after his resignation as an MLA and a minister in the Jharkhand state government.

    Emotional Transition To BJP

    Mr Soren, accompanied by a large group of his supporters, was welcomed into the BJP in Ranchi by senior party figures including Babulal Marandi, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Himanta Biswa Sarma. The 67-year-old veteran politician appeared visibly emotional during the event, marking a significant shift in his political journey.

     Resignation From JMM

    Two days prior to joining the BJP, Mr Soren resigned from both his MLA position and his ministerial role in the Jharkhand Cabinet. He addressed a letter to JMM Chief Shibu Soren, expressing his disappointment with the current direction and policies of the JMM. “My decision to join the BJP is in the best interest of Jharkhand,” he stated, citing his dissatisfaction with the party’s deviation from its original principles.

     A Painful Departure

    In his resignation letter, Mr. Soren expressed deep sorrow over leaving the JMM, a party he considered his family. “I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would leave the JMM,” he wrote, adding that the events of the past few months left him with no choice but to make this difficult decision.

    Political Background And Recent Developments

    Champai Soren briefly served as the 12th Chief Minister of Jharkhand, taking office on February 2, but resigned from the position on July 3, a day before Hemant Soren, the JMM executive president, was sworn in as the 13th Chief Minister. Recently, Mr Soren expressed frustration over his treatment following Hemant Soren’s return from jail, further fueling his decision to leave the JMM.

  • Why Hemant Soren’s Return May Foment Trouble For BJP In Jharkhand? |

    Hemant Soren, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader, has been released from jail on bail in the alleged land scam case. He is now set to reclaim the seat of power in Jharkhand, even though the assembly elections in the state are just a few months away. Following his release, there were discussions that Champai Soren would remain the Chief Minister until the elections while Hemant would focus on party work. However, Hemant’s move to become the Chief Minister has ended these speculations.

    On Wednesday, in a meeting held in the capital Ranchi, the JMM, Congress, and RJD unanimously agreed to make Hemant Soren the Chief Minister again. Following the party’s decision, Champai Soren resigned from his post, and Hemant Soren staked his claim to form the government. According to media reports, Champai Soren is reportedly unhappy with his removal, although no official statement has been released by him yet.

    The key question is why Champai Soren was not allowed to complete his term and why Hemant was in such a hurry to take the CM’s chair as soon as he was released from jail. This article delves into the reasons behind Hemant Soren’s quick move to reclaim power.

    Factions Forming Within the Party

    Just five days after his release from jail, Hemant Soren took control of Jharkhand’s power. Sources associated with JMM indicate that with assembly elections looming, two factions of power were emerging within the party. This could have potentially harmed the party’s prospects in the elections. To prevent this, Hemant decided to retain the CM’s chair himself.

    Strong Hold In Party

    Following the results of the Lok Sabha elections and Hemant Soren’s release, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha is invigorated. The party believes that under Hemant’s leadership, they will break all victory records in the upcoming assembly elections. To avoid any pre-election mistakes, Hemant’s swift move to become CM sends a clear message within the party that he holds the reins of power.

    Sympathy Votes

    Having been absent from the election campaign during the Lok Sabha elections due to his arrest, Hemant Soren aims to become the face of the INDIA bloc in the assembly elections. Other parties within the grand alliance support this move, believing that Hemant’s leadership could attract sympathy votes. This is why preparations were swiftly made to reinstall him as Chief Minister shortly after his release. If Hemant faces jail time again, he could emulate Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who continued to govern from jail.

    Potential Succession by His Wife

    Hemant Soren is aware that ongoing cases could result in his imprisonment again. If that happens, he could use his power as CM to appoint his wife, Kalpana Soren, as his successor. Kalpana has established herself as a prominent leader within the party, winning the assembly by-election and effectively leading JMM’s Lok Sabha campaign in Hemant’s absence. Should Hemant need to step down again, Kalpana is his likely choice to assume the role of Chief Minister so that the control of the party remains within the family.

    Alliance’s Trust in Hemant

    JMM’s allies in the INDIA Block believe that a majority in the state assembly can only be achieved by placing their trust in Hemant Soren. This confidence in his leadership has played a significant role in the decision to reinstall him as Chief Minister.

    Strategy To Counter BJP

    The BJP-led NDA has bagged 9 out of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the NDA had bagged 12 seats. This time, it is believed that Hemant Soren’s imprisonment resulted in sympathy votes for the JMM-Congress alliance as it won three more seats compared to 2019. The return of Heman Soren clubbed with the oratory of Kalpana Soren is likely to brighten the ruling coalition’s prospects in the upcoming assembly polls and the road ahead won’t be easy for the BJP.

  • Hemant Soren Likely To Return As Jharkhand CM Following Consensus Among JMM-Led Alliance MLAs |

    RANCHI: JMM executive president Hemant Soren is likely to return as chief minister of Jharkhand for the third time following consensus among legislators of the party-led alliance in the state, sources said on Wednesday. Leaders and MLAs of the alliance during a meeting at Chief Minister Champai Soren’s residence here unanimously decided to elect Hemant Soren as JMM legislature party leader, they said. “A decision was taken in the meeting to replace Champai Soren with Hemant Soren,” a party source told PTI.

    If sworn in, he will be the 13th chief minister of Jharkhand, which was carved out of Bihar on November 15, 2000. Congress’s Jharkhand in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir and its state president Rajesh Thakur also attended the meeting, besides Hemant Soren’s brother Basant and wife Kalpana. Hemant Soren was released from jail on June 28 after nearly five months, as the high court granted him bail in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. He had resigned as the CM before his arrest on January 31.

    Meanwhile, in a post on X, BJP MP Nishkant Dubey said: “The Champai Soren era is over in Jharkhand. In the family-oriented party, people outside the family have no political future. I wish the chief minister drew inspiration from Bhagwan Birsa Munda and stood up against the corrupt Hemant Soren ji.” The sources said Champai Soren, who had taken oath as the 12th chief minister of Jharkhand on February 2 after Hemant Soren’s arrest, may resign from the post soon.

    Against 12 berths, the Jharkhand Cabinet at present has a strength of 10. Earlier, on February 16, a total of eight MLAs were inducted in the cabinet in addition to three on February 2, including Champai Soren. Of the 11, Rural Development and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Alamgir Alam tendered his resignation on June 11 after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case.

    After the Lok Sabha elections, the strength of the JMM-led alliance in the state has reduced to 45 MLAs – JMM-27, Congress-17 and RJD-1. Two JMM MLAs, Nalin Soren and Joba Majhi, are now parliamentarians, while Jama legislator Sita Soren resigned to contest the general elections on a BJP ticket. The JMM expelled two more legislators – Bishunpur MLA Chamra Linda and Boriyo MLA Lobin Hembrom – from the party, but they are yet to resign from the assembly.

    Likewise, the BJP’s strength in the assembly has reduced to 24, as two of its MLAs – Dhulu Mahto (Baghmara) and Manish Jaiswal (Hazaribag) – contested the Lok Sabha elections and are now MPs. The saffron party has expelled Mandu MLA Jaiprakash Bhai Patel after he joined the Congress to contest the polls. However, Patel is yet to resign from the assembly. The current strength of the 81-member Jharkhand assembly is 76.

  • Jharkhand CM Champai Soren To Face Floor Test Shortly; Hemant Soren Slams BJP |

    New Delhi: Champai Soren, who was made Chief Minister of Jharkhand in the absence of Hemant Soren, will face a crucial floor test in the state assembly today. This will be yet another test of unity among INDIA bloc partnerts ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and impending state assembly elections. The majority mark in the state 81-member assembly is 41. One seat is currently vacant in the assembly following the resignation of a JMM MLA. The MLAs of the ruling coalition – JMM-Congress-RJD – were kept in a Hyderabad resort amid fears of poaching and they have now reached Ranchi tonight ahead of today’s floor test. 

    Speaking in the assembly, Former CM Hemant Soren said that a conspiracy was hatched in collaboration with the Raj Bhawan to get a sitting CM arrested. He termed January 31 as a black day in the history of India.

    The combined strength of the JMM (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha), Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPI(ML)) stands at 46 Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) — comprising 28 from JMM, 16 from Congress, 1 from RJD, and 1 from CPI(ML). On the other hand, the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and its allies hold 29 MLAs.

    Political analysts believe that barring any unforeseen events or significant developments, the JMM government is expected to successfully pass the floor test with its current majority in the Legislative Assembly. Another MLA Chamra Linda from the Bishunpur constituency could not be contacted by the party. Despite this, even if these two MLAs did not support Soren, the ruling coalition would survive the floor test with the support of 44 MLAs. Former CM Hemant Soren, who is in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate, will be present in the assembly to vote in the floor test.

    However, a bit of scare for CM Soren came from Lobin Hembrom, JMM MLA from the Borio seat in the Sahibganj district who said that if the ruling party fails to fulfil its promises related to tribals, then he would severe all ties with the party and form a forum – Jharkhand Bachao Morcha.

    Champai Soren, the present Chief Minister, played a prominent role in the Jharkhand movement during the late 90s, alongside Shibu Soren. Previously serving as the Transport Minister in the Hemant Soren government, Champai Soren not only brings experience to his current role but also enjoys the support of the influential Soren family.

  • Champai Soren Takes Oath As New Jharkhand CM, Alamgir Alam, Bhokta Sworn In As Ministers

    Champai Soren became the 12th Chief Minister of Jharkhand. 

  • Champai Soren To Take Oath As Jharkhand CM Today, Floor Test In 10 Days |

    New Delhi: In significant development amid the political turmoil in Jharkhand, Champai Soren, a prominent figure in the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha party, is scheduled to be sworn in as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand today.

    On Thursday, Jharkhand Governor CP Radhakrishnan extended an invitation to Champai Soren to Raj Bhavan to establish the government in the state. Champai Soren, a supporter of JMM leader Hemant Soren, has been entrusted with the responsibility to prove his majority in a floor test, scheduled to take place within the next 10 days.

    On Thursday, Champai Soren, along with 43 legislators, met Jharkhand Governor CP Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhavan, staking a claim to form the government in the state.

    Amidst escalating political tension in the state on Thursday evening, Congress leaders seized the opportunity to condemn the BJP, accusing it of “crushing the mandate in every state.”

    “Immediately after the resignation of the coalition government in Bihar, the Governor had sent an invitation to form a new government. But the invitation to form a government was not sent even a day after staking claim in Jharkhand,” Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said in a post on X.

    “First, the Chief Minister was forced to resign by imposing ED. He was arrested. Now there are reports that efforts are being made to buy the MLAs by stopping the formation of the new government. First Bihar, then Chandigarh and now Jharkhand – BJP is crushing the mandate in every state by influencing through money,” she added.

    Congress leader, Mallikarjun Kharge expressed disapproval of the Jharkhand Governor’s delay in extending an invitation to Champai Soren, the leader of the JMM legislature party, to establish the government in the state.

    “In the House of 81 MLAs, only 41 are majority. Despite having the support of 48 MLAs, not inviting Champai Soren ji to form the government is clearly a disrespect to the Constitution and denial of public opinion,” Kharge said in a post on X.
    Meanwhile, JMM leader and former chief minister Hemant Soren was sent to one-day judicial custody by a special PMLA court in Ranchi in connection with an alleged land scam case.

    Soren was arrested on Wednesday night by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) after six hours of questioning in the money laundering case linked to the alleged land scam.

  • Hemant Soren In ED Custody, Claims JMM Leader Mahua Manjhi

    Hemant Soren today resigned as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand after facing ED grilling for over seven hours.