Hemant Soren and Champai Soren attended the ruling alliance meeting today.
Ranchi:
Hemant Soren is set to take over as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand again after the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) alliance, the Congress and the RJD elected him as its leader, paving the way for his return to the top post.
Hemant Soren resigned as chief minister in January before being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case. He was granted bail last week. The JMM leader has denied all the allegations. Granting him bail last week, the Jharkhand High Court said it had reason to believe he was “not guilty of the offense as alleged”.
However, all is not well. Champai Soren, who took over as chief minister after Hemant Soren resigned, is not happy with the decision to replace him, sources said. It is learned that Champai Soren may be named as JMM Executive President.
Champai Soren said at a JMM legislature party meeting that he felt “insulted”, sources said. The party, however, went ahead and nominated Hemant Soren as its Legislature Party Leader.
Champai Soren may submit his resignation to the Governor this evening, which will start the process for Hemant Soren to take over.
Leaders of the ruling coalition reached a consensus on the return of Hemant Soren during a meeting at Champai Soren's residence today. Congress Jharkhand in-charge Ghulam Ahmed Mir, state president Rajesh Thakur and Hemant Soren's wife and MLA Kalpana Soren attended the meeting.
Speculations of a change of guard started after Chief Minister Champai Soren canceled all important programs today.
Elections in Jharkhand are months away and the JMM is considering contesting the election with Hemant Soren as its face. But the decision to replace Champai Soren will give the opposition BJP electoral ammunition and strengthen its dynastic narrative.
Setting the tone for the BJP's offensive, Nishikant Dubey, the party's MP from Gowda in Jharkhand, said in a social media post that “Champai Soren's era is over in Jharkhand”.
Targeting the JMM, he said, “In a family-based party, people outside the family have no political future. I wish the Chief Minister would have taken inspiration from Bhagwan Bursa Munda and stood up against the corrupt Hemant Sorenji.” “
Champai Soren, 67, is a veteran JMM leader and has been with Shibu Soren, the party's founder and Hemant Soren's father, for decades now. Before that, he was a cabinet minister in the Hemant Soren government.