Champai Soren assumed the position of leader of the legislative party of the JMM shortly after Hemant Soren’s resignation as chief minister and subsequent arrest by the Enforcement Directorate.
Ranchi: On Thursday, the Congress revealed that it has sequestered its MLAs in Jharkhand to prevent potential ‘horse-trading’ attempts by the BJP. Ghulam Ahmad Mir, the Congress party’s in-charge for Jharkhand, explained that the MLAs had been moved to a secure location due to the governor’s delayed swearing-in ceremony for Champai Soren, despite receiving the letter of support.
Champai Soren was elected as the leader of the legislative party of the ruling JMM on Wednesday, following Hemant Soren’s resignation as chief minister and subsequent arrest by the Enforcement Directorate. The JMM-led alliance and Champai Soren approached Raj Bhavan at 5:30 pm to stake their claim to form the government. JMM spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya stated, “We will reveal details about the oath-taking ceremony tomorrow. We have the support of 47 MLAs in the House.”
The Congress leader noted that in the case of the BJP and its allies, oath ceremonies are typically organized within hours of staking a claim to form a government. He pointed out that JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar took the oath as the chief minister of Bihar just five hours after announcing an alliance with the BJP.
“In Nitish Kumar’s case, he took the oath just five hours after resigning. In Jharkhand’s case, despite having a majority, the new chief minister has not been sworn in. This raises suspicion. The governor has the ‘demand paper.’ We want the governor to make a decision quickly. The new chief minister must be sworn in, and the government must be formed,” he stated.
When asked about Congress MLAs, he mentioned that they have been kept in a safe place.
“Many MLAs can be soft targets. We wouldn’t have needed to do this if the governor had sworn in the new chief minister. We took the safe side based on our assessment of his intentions. We have not kept our MLAs in the open; we have kept the MLAs in a safe place,” he added.
Champai Soren stated on Thursday that he was waiting for an invitation from Raj Bhavan to form a government in Jharkhand. He mentioned that his party had submitted a document proving the support of 47 MLAs.
“We handed over a letter of support from 43 MLAs to the governor yesterday. Now we have the support of 47 legislators,” he said.
“We are waiting for 15–16 hours, whereas oaths are administered within two hours of staking a claim and inviting in other states,” he added.
Hemant Soren was arrested on Wednesday night in connection with a money laundering case.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear a plea challenging Soren’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate on Friday. His lawyers withdrew their petition in the Jharkhand High Court and moved to the Supreme Court, citing the adverse impact of the arrest on the country’s politics.
The case against Hemant Soren is linked to a “huge racket of illegal changes of ownership of land by the mafia” in Jharkhand.
Who is Champai Soren?
Champai Soren is a prominent tribal leader and politician hailing from the state of Jharkhand. At the age of 67, he currently holds the position of Minister of Transport in the Jharkhand government.
Born into a family deeply rooted in agricultural practices, Champai Soren, the son of Simal Soren, completed his early education in a government school, reaching the 10th grade. His entry into politics aligned with the demand for a separate Jharkhand state, where he quickly affiliated himself with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).
Champai’s political journey includes significant milestones, notably his active participation in the Jharkhand movement, earning him the nickname ‘Jharkhand Tiger’ for his passionate advocacy. He initially secured victory as an independent candidate in a crucial by-election from the Saraikela constituency.
Jharkhand CM Champai Soren
Champai Soren was elected as the leader of the legislature party of the ruling JMM on Wednesday, shortly after Hemant Soren quit as the chief minister. The leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha legislative party, Champai Soren, met Governor CP Radhakrishnan on Thursday and demanded that the process to start the formation of the state government should begin. On Wednesday, Champai Soren was chosen as the leader of the legislative party of the ruling JMM, following the resignation of Hemant Soren as the Chief Minister just before being apprehended by the Enforcement Directorate.
Concerns over Kalpana Soren’s Nomination
During the recent political upheaval in Jharkhand, a PTI report indicated objections to the nomination of Hemant Soren’s wife, Kalpana, as the next Chief Minister. JMM MLA Sita Soren, Hemant Soren’s sister-in-law, raised concerns about Kalpana Soren, who is not an MLA and lacks political experience. Sita Soren questioned the circumstances leading to Kalpana’s name being considered for the position when there were several senior leaders in the party.
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