Ranchi, August 17: BJP Jharkhand assembly poll co-in-charge Himanta Biswa Sarma and JMM leader Champai Soren have both denied speculations of the latter defecting to BJP before the assembly polls.
The denials came on Saturday a day after there was intense speculation in section of media about former chief minister and JMM veteran Champai Soren joining BJP in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his forthcoming visit to Jharkhand.
Several media reports claimed that Champai Soren, a close aide of the Soren family, was mulling joining the BJP as he was reportedly not happy with the way he was unceremoniously removed from the top post to pave way for Hemant Soren to become the Chief Minister of Jharkhand once again.
Rejecting the reports, Champai Soren while speaking to a national news channel said, “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)”.
Even BJP leader and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma who is party’s co-in-charge of Jharkhand assembly election during his visit to Jharkhand on Saturday said that no one from the JMM was in touch with the saffron party.
“No one is in touch with us yet. I am also hearing these reports from the channels. Champai Soren is a very senior leader, I do not want to make any informal comment about him,” Sarma said while speaking to news agency.
Jharkhand higher and technical education minister Champai Soren, who is also the incumbent water resources minister of Jharkhand, was made the chief minister after Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on January 31 in an alleged land scam case.
However, Champai Soren had to step down from the post on July 3 after Hemant Soren was granted bail by Jharkhand High Court on June 28.
