Hemant to don CM hat again, Champai resigns

Hemant Soren likely to take oath as CM today

All formalities to form the government are complete: Hemant

INDI bloc has chosen Hemant as leader: Champai

 Ranchi, July 3: Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren on Wednesday submitted his resignation to Governor CP Radhakrishnan in Raj Bhavan, paving the way for Hemant Soren to resume the top post. Hemant Soren is all set to return as Chief Minister of Jharkhand for the third time.

The change of guard in Jharkhand was decided after the  ruling coalition (JMM-Congress-RJD) MLAs and leaders reached consensus over the replacement of the Chief Minister earlier in the day.

Leaders and MLAs of the alliance, during a meeting at Champai Soren’s residence in Ranchi, unanimously decided to elect Hemant Soren as JMM legislature party leader.

Champai Soren, a close aide of the Soren family, took oath as Jharkhand Chief Minister five months ago after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Hemant Soren in connection with an alleged money laundering case linked to a land grab case on January 31.

Hemant Soren was in the Birsa Munda Central Jail for a period of five months before securing bail from the Jharkhand High Court on June 28.

Talks about giving Champai Soren a new responsibility as the chairman of the UPA coordination committee and working president of JMM are also going on.

Congress’s Jharkhand in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir and its state president Rajesh Thakur also attended the INDIA bloc’s meeting, besides Hemant Soren’s brother Basant and wife Kalpana and CPI-ML MLA Binod Singh.

Meanwhile, while setting the narrative for the BJP’s offensive, MP Nishikant Dubey stated in a post on X that the “Champai  Soren era is over in Jharkhand.”

Taking a potshot at JMM, he stated, “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 ji.”

The 67-year-old Champai Soren, a veteran JMM leader, has been with party founder and Hemant Soren’s father, Shibu Soren, for decades now.

“A few days ago, I was made the Chief Minister and I got the responsibility of the state. After Hemant Soren was back, our alliance took this decision and we chose Hemant Soren as our leader. Now, I have resigned from the post of Chief Minister,” Champai Soren told reporters after stepping down from the post.

Hemant Soren told the media all formalities to form the government are complete.

“Everything will be disclosed soon,” the JMM executive president said when asked about the swearing-in.

Hemant Soren, son of JMM supremo Shibu Soren was released from jail on June 28 after nearly five months, after the high court granted him bail in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. He had resigned as the CM shortly before his arrest on January 31 by the ED.

After the Lok Sabha elections, the strength of the JMM-led alliance in the state was reduced to 45 MLAs JMM-27, Congress-17 and RJD-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.

The JMM expelled two more legislators Bishunpur MLA Chamra Linda and Boriyo MLA Lobin Hembrom from the party.

Likewise, the BJP’s strength in the assembly has reduced to 24, as two of its MLAs Dhulu Mahto (Baghmara) and Manish Jaiswal (Hazaribag) are now MPs. The saffron party has expelled Mandu MLA Jaiprakash Bhai Patel after he joined the Congress to contest the polls.

The current strength of the 81-member Jharkhand assembly is 76.