In the run-up to the Assembly elections in Jharkhand, former Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Champai Soren is likely to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In a post on social media handle X, Mr. Soren indicated that he will soon leave the JMM.
The buzz of joining the BJP got stronger when he removed the JMM leader tag from X. On Sunday (August 18, 2024), he landed at the national capital and despite repeated questions on joining the BJP, Mr. Soren stuck to one line answer of visiting Delhi for personal work.
Before going to Delhi, sources said Mr. Champai Soren had a closed-door meeting with Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari in Kolkata on Saturday (August 17, 2024). From Kolkata, he landed at the Delhi airport on Sunday (August 18, 2024) where journalists asked him about joining the BJP.
Replying to questions of journalists, Mr. Champai Soren denied meeting Mr. Adhikari and claimed that he had visited Delhi for personal work.
Five-term MLA Mr. Champai Soren has reportedly removed the JMM flag from his ancestral house at Jilinggora village of Seraikela-Kharsawan district.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on January 31 last year in connection with the alleged money laundering case. Following his arrest, he had to resign, after which Mr. Champai Soren, a senior leader of his party, was made the standee Chief minister. Mr. Hemant Soren was in jail for almost six months and got bail from the Jharkhand High Court on June 28, 2024.
After getting bail, Mr. Champai Soren was removed and Mr. Hemant Soren became the Chief Minister for the third time on July 4.
Something similar happened in Bihar when Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had removed Jitan Ram Manjhi and he revolted against the leadership and formed his own political party.
‘Party trusts him’
JMM Central Committee member and spokesperson Manoj Pandey told the media in Ranchi, “Champai Soren has been associated with the party for a long time and the party has always given him a lot of respect. The party fully trusts him and is confident that he will not betray.”
On August 18, Mr. Champai Soren, who is nick-named ‘Jharkhand Tiger’ by JMM founder Shibu Soren, posted a long message on his official handle X stating that he was insulted several times.
“After Hul Diwas, I came to know that all my programmes for the next two days have been postponed by the party leadership. On asking, I came to know that a meeting of the legislature party has been called by the coalition on July 3, till then I cannot attend any programme as CM. Can there be anything more humiliating in a democracy than a Chief Minister’s programmes being cancelled by another person?”Mr. Champai Soren said in the post.
He said, “Despite swallowing the bitter pill of insult, I said the appointment letters would be distributed in the morning, while the legislature party meeting would be held in the afternoon, so I would attend it from there. But I was flatly refused to do so. For the first time in my spotless political journey of the last four decades, I was broken from within.”
Mr. Champai Soren also clarified that he has no greed for power.
“Although the Chief Minister has the right to call a meeting of the legislature party, I was not even told the agenda of the meeting. During the meeting, I was asked to resign. I was surprised, but I had no greed for power, so I immediately resigned, but my heart was emotional due to the blow to my self-respect. I was so emotional due to the insulting behaviour. I felt as if I had no existence in that party, no existence at all, for which I had dedicated my entire life,” Mr. Champai Soren said.
He also mentioned many insulting incidents but said he did not want to cite them right now.
“After so much insult and contempt, I was forced to look for an alternative path. With a heavy heart, I said in the same meeting of the legislature party that - ‘A new chapter of my life is going to start from today’. I had three options. First, to retire from politics, second, to form my own separate organisation and third, if I find a companion on this path. From that day till today, and till the upcoming Jharkhand Assembly elections, all options are open for me in this journey,” Mr. Champai Soren said in X post.
