Champai Soren tendered his resignation as Chief Minister of Jharkhand to Governor CP Radhakrishnan, paving the way for JMM executive president Hemant Soren to return to the top post.
In Short:
- Champai Soren steps down as Jharkhand Chief Minister.
- Hemant Soren expected to become Chief Minister for the third time.
- Decision made after consensus among INDIA alliance leaders.
- Champai Soren may take on new roles within the party.
On Wednesday, Champai Soren, the Chief Minister of Jharkhand, resigned from his position by submitting his resignation to Governor CP Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhavan. This move paves the way for Hemant Soren to assume the role of Chief Minister once again.
Earlier in the day, leaders and MLAs of the INDIA alliance met at Champai Soren's residence in Ranchi and reached a consensus on replacing the current Chief Minister. They unanimously chose Hemant Soren as the new JMM legislature party leader.
Champai Soren had taken on the Chief Minister role five months ago after Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on charges related to a money laundering case connected to land grabbing. Hemant Soren spent five months in Birsa Munda Central Jail before the Jharkhand High Court granted him bail on June 28.
There are ongoing discussions about Champai Soren taking on new responsibilities within the party, such as becoming the Chairman of the UPA coordination committee and the working president of JMM.
The INDIA bloc meeting saw the attendance of prominent figures, including Congress's Jharkhand in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir, state president Rajesh Thakur, Hemant Soren's brother Basant, and his wife Kalpana.
In response to the political shift, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey commented on social media, declaring the "Champai Soren era is over in Jharkhand." He criticized the JMM for prioritizing family members and called for opposition to what he termed the "corrupt Hemant Soren."
Champai Soren, a 67-year-old veteran JMM leader, has long been associated with party founder Shibu Soren, Hemant Soren's father.