Following a consensus among legislators of the party-led alliance in Jharkhand, Hemant Soren is poised to return as the Chief Minister for the third time. Leaders and MLAs of the alliance unanimously decided to elect him as the JMM legislature party leader during a meeting at Chief Minister Champai Soren’s residence.
“A decision was taken in the meeting to replace Champai Soren with Hemant Soren,” a party source informed PTI.
Hemant Soren, if sworn in, will become the 13th Chief Minister of Jharkhand, a state formed on November 15, 2000, after its separation from Bihar.
Congress’s Jharkhand in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir and state president Rajesh Thakur, along with Hemant Soren’s brother Basant and wife Kalpana, were also present at the meeting.
“Hemant Soren was released from jail on June 28 after nearly five months, as the high court granted him bail in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam,” the sources told PTI.
“He had resigned as the CM before his arrest on January 31.”
Meanwhile, reacting to the development, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey commented, “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 ji.”
Champai Soren, who took oath as the 12th Chief Minister of Jharkhand on February 2 during Hemant Soren’s absence, may soon resign from the post.
“The current Jharkhand Cabinet, initially comprising 12 berths, now has a strength of 10 ministers,” the PTI sources noted.
“After the Lok Sabha elections, the strength of the JMM-led alliance in the state has reduced to 45 MLAs – JMM-27, Congress-17, and RJD-1,” sources confirmed.
“The current strength of the 81-member Jharkhand assembly is 76.”
