JMM executive president Hemant Soren is gearing up to retake the reins as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand for the third time, following an agreement among the legislators of the party-led alliance in the state, party sources confirmed on Wednesday. Reliable sources indicated that Champai Soren, who assumed office as the 12th Chief Minister of Jharkhand on February 2 after Hemant Soren’s arrest, may soon tender his resignation.
Champai Soren has reportedly sought an appointment with Governor CP Radhakrishnan and is scheduled to meet him at 7.30 PM this evening, according to sources at Raj Bhavan. During a meeting held at Champai Soren’s residence, alliance leaders and MLAs unanimously decided to elect Hemant Soren as the JMM legislature party leader, these sources revealed.
“A decision was taken in the meeting to make Hemant Soren the Chief Minister of the state again,” an insider disclosed to PTI. Should he be sworn in, Hemant Soren will serve as the 13th Chief Minister of Jharkhand, a state that was carved out of Bihar on November 15, 2000. The assembly meeting also witnessed attendance from Congress’s Jharkhand in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir, its state president Rajesh Thakur, as well as Hemant Soren’s brother Basant and his wife Kalpana.
Hemant Soren’s political journey took a significant turn when he was released from jail on June 28, following nearly five months of incarceration as the high court granted him bail in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. Soren had resigned from his CM post shortly before his arrest on January 31. Meanwhile, BJP MP Nishkant Dubey took to social media to comment on the political shift, stating, “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.”
Jharkhand BJP president Babulal Marandi also voiced his opinion, asserting that the tribals outside Shibu Soren’s family are considered temporary faces in JMM.
. According to him, the family leverages people as needed. Hemant Soren’s lineage as the son of Shibu Soren has been a point of contention for many in Jharkhand’s political landscape.
Marandi further criticized the JMM, claiming that their promise of rising above nepotism and appointing a new chief minister five months ago has been exposed as false. He remarked on how Champai Soren, referred to as the “tiger of Kolhan” in political circles, has now been reduced to a mere mouse. Currently, Jharkhand is allowed 12 ministers in its Cabinet; however, the present state Cabinet holds a strength of just 10.
Following the Lok Sabha elections, the JMM-led alliance’s strength in the state diminished to 45 MLAs, comprising JMM with 27, Congress with 17, and RJD with 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. Moreover, the JMM expelled two more legislators: Bishunpur MLA Chamra Linda and Boriyo MLA Lobin Hembrom from the party.
Similarly, the BJP’s strength in the assembly has dropped to 24, with two of its MLAs—Dhulu Mahto from Baghmara and Manish Jaiswal from Hazaribag—having transitioned to MPs. The saffron party also expelled Mandu MLA Jaiprakash Bhai Patel after he joined the Congress to contest the polls. The current strength of the 81-member Jharkhand assembly now stands at 76.
Notably, the JMM’s internal dynamics and the shifting political landscape in Jharkhand underscore the persistent political volatility in the state. The coming days will determine how these developments unfold and their potential impact on Jharkhand’s governance.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from PTI)
