Champai Soren
Former Jharkhand Chief Minister and current Water Resources Minister Champai Soren on Saturday dispelled rumours suggesting his potential defection to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. Speaking to reporters, Soren rejected the speculation, expressing surprise over the reports circulating in political circles.
“I don’t know what rumours are being spread. I don’t know what news is being run, so I cannot tell whether it’s true or not. I don’t know anything about it… Hum jahan par hain vahi par hain (I am here only),” Soren said.
The senior Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader briefly held the position of Chief Minister earlier this year, from February to July, after incumbent Chief Minister Hemant Soren was forced to step down. Hemant Soren resigned on January 31 after facing allegations of involvement in a land scam. During his absence, Champai Soren assumed the CM post until Hemant was granted bail by the Jharkhand High Court on June 28. Hemant Soren was subsequently sworn in as Chief Minister again on July 4, appointing Champai Soren as the Minister for Water Resources, Higher Education, and Technical Education in his cabinet.
The rumours of Champai Soren potentially joining the BJP have caused a stir in Jharkhand’s political landscape. However, the opposition party has remained vague on the matter, with BJP MP Deepak Prakash praising Champai Soren’s leadership during his brief tenure as Chief Minister.
“He is a huge personality… 3.5 crore people of Jharkhand were happy with his work. But the way he was removed from the CM post was unfortunate. It was a setback that a good person was removed from the CM’s chair. What was his fault?” said Prakash, adding that the decision regarding Champai Soren’s inclusion in the BJP rests with the party’s central leadership.
In contrast, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who serves as the election co-incharge for Jharkhand, declined to comment on the speculations surrounding Soren’s future political moves, further fueling curiosity ahead of the state elections.
As the political climate intensifies in Jharkhand, Champai Soren’s rejection of the rumours has sparked renewed focus on the internal dynamics of the JMM and its relationship with the BJP, as parties gear up for the electoral contest.
