Hemant Soren set to return as Jharkhand CM as incumbent Champai steps down

A leader who was present at the meeting said, “Champai Soren was made the CM to avoid any instability and the mandate was for the grand alliance led by Hemant, which got a majority in the 2019 elections. However, there was initial reluctance on the part of Champai Soren, citing certain instability in the government if any further trouble is caused. Champai was then later convinced and, after brief reluctance, he became ready to give up the post.”

According to JMM insiders, Hemant initially did not plan to take over as CM but made the decision because of certain missteps by the Champai Soren-led administration. The JMM leader felt that these missteps could dent the ruling coalition in the Assembly elections scheduled for later this year.

Champai Soren met Governor C P Radhakrishnan on Wednesday evening

The Governor who will now decide on the date of the swearing-in ceremony asked Champai Soren to remain in office till “alternative arrangements are made”, the Raj Bhavan said in a statement.

JMM sources said Hemant Soren would now attempt to fulfil his government’s remaining promises and that will form his pitch to the public for the Assembly polls. On the campaign trail, the JMM leader will also speak about how he was kept in jail for five months in a “false case and that he was forced to leave the post of the CM”, said party insiders

Hemant Soren got bail on June 28, five months after he was arrested, with the Jharkhand High Court saying there exist “reasons to believe that he was not guilty of the offence” of money laundering brought against him over a plot of land in Ranchi. For many JMM members, the regular bail for their party leader came as a surprise.

In his first address after getting out of jail, Hemant told party workers that he had received information that the Assembly elections might be announced early and that he was “ready”.

State BJP president Babulal Marandi, meanwhile, targeted the JMM for “favouring dynasty politics” and said tribal leaders outside the Soren family would only ever be “kaam chalau (makeshift choices)”. He said the Soren family would “use such leaders as per their wish” and discard them “like a fly in milk”. Marandi said there was a lesson for other tribal leaders in the ruling party. “They should understand their boundary lines. They should understand that they are only meant to be the palanquin of Shibu Soren’s family,” he said.