PM Modi holds Champai Soren’s hand, latter says lotus will bloom in Kolhan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially kicked off the election campaign for Jharkhand’s upcoming assembly polls with a fiery speech in Jamshedpur.

This electrifying rally is being seen as a strong endorsement for Champai Soren – Dishom Guru’s aide during Jharkhand movement and former chief minister – and BJP’s new hope in the Kolhan region, with an ambitious goal to sweep all 14 assembly seats.

In a move that surprised many, Modi traveled by road to Jamshedpur for the Parivartan Rally, a gesture that endeared him to the people and sent a surge of energy through the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers across Kolhan and the entire state. His address focused on Champai Soren, highlighting how despite dedicating his life to the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Soren was mistreated by the party.

Sharing the stage with Modi were Kolhan’s very own “tiger” Champai Soren, BJP state president Babulal Marandi, former union minister Arjun Munda, Leader of the Opposition Amar Bauri, and Jamshedpur MP Bidyut Baran Mahato.

Though Modi’s schedule was tight, he made sure to end his speech with a symbolic moment — shaking hands with Champai Soren. Political pundits were quick to point out that this gesture was a clear signal: Champai Soren will be the BJP’s face in the battle against Jharkhand’s current Chief Minister, Hemant Soren.

After the rally, Champai declared, “The lotus will bloom in Kolhan.”

Speaking about his meeting with the Prime Minister, Champai said, “This was my first meeting with the honorable Prime Minister. He gave me the honor of sharing the stage with him.”

The Kolhan tiger also praised the success of the rally, despite the pouring rain. “People have been standing here in the rain just to listen to PM Modi. This shows how much they love him,” Champai added with pride.

According to a senior BJP leader, Champai’s induction into the BJP, combined with Modi’s powerful rally, is expected to help the party regain the support it had lost in Kolhan.

Kolhan, with its 14 assembly seats, holds special importance. Nine of these seats are reserved for Scheduled Tribes, one for Scheduled Caste, and the remaining four are general seats. In the last assembly elections, BJP faced a crushing defeat in Kolhan, failing to win a single seat. Most seats went to JMM and Congress, with Jamshedpur’s two seats split between Congress’ Banna Gupta and independent candidate Saryu Roy.

However, the 2024 Lok Sabha elections gave the BJP a much-needed boost when Vidyut Varan Mahato won the Jamshedpur constituency by a record margin. Now, the BJP is hoping to ride this wave and reclaim Kolhan.