Kalpana Soren

Kalpana has been making headlines now as Hemant finds himself increasingly facing heat from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a case pertaining to an alleged land scam. As the ED turns up the heat on the CM, Kalpana is set to remain in the limelight ahead of the Lok Sabha and the Assembly polls in the state.

Since February 2022, when the ED sought to link Hemant to an “illegal” ownership of a mining lease, there has been turbulence in state politics. The ED has also linked Hemant to a case of alleged embezzlement of the MGNREGA funds. A PIL seeking Hemant’s resignation also came in amidst all this, which the Supreme Court termed “non-maintainable” in November 2022.

The ED is currently probing a “huge racket of illegal change of ownership of land by the mafia” in Jharkhand as part of which it has repeatedly summoned Hemant for questioning.

Kalpana, who hails from Mayurbhanj district of Odisha, has a Masters in Engineering and also holds an MBA degree. She got married to Hemant in February 2006. They have two sons.

A source from the CM’s office said, “Kalpana is also close to President Droupadi Murmu, who also hails from Mayurbhanj district,” attributing the JMM’s support to Murmu in the 2022 presidential elections to this factor.

A JMM functionary however said that notwithstanding Hemant’s bid to allay the concerns of his party and the ruling coalition partners, including the Congress and the RJD, over the question of his possible resignation as the CM, Kalpana would “step up to take over the responsibility from the CM if required under such an eventuality”.

Kalpana Soren has properties worth around Rs 5 crore, according to the data provided to the election commission by Hemant Soren in 2019. While the Chief Minister himself has properties worth Rs 8,51,74,195.