JMM leader Champai Soren (C) with party MLA Alamgir Alam and others comes out from Raj Bhavan. (PTI)Jharkhand Politics Highlights (February 1): Jharkhand Transport Minister and JMM leader Champai Soren was appointed as the state’s new Chief Minister late Wednesday night, a little over 24 hours after Hemant Soren resigned from the post. A delegation of five JMM-Congress coalition MLAs, led by Champai Soren, met Governor C P Radhakrishnan earlier today at the Raj Bhavan in Ranchi. After the meeting, Champai, the new JMM legislature party leader, said the coalition has “demanded” government formation in the state, to which the Governor responded that a decision will be taken soon. Hemant was arrested after more than seven hours of questioning by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to a land scam. Earlier, he had tendered his resignation to Radhakrishnan at the Raj Bhavan, where he went along with alliance legislators.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is set to hear a plea against the arrest of Soren by the ED tomorrow. In a video message recorded just before his arrest, Soren claimed that he was not linked to the money laundering case in which he was arrested and asserted that he would not “cow down”. “After a full day of questioning, ED decided to arrest me in matters which are not related to me. No evidence has been found by them yet. I wil not cow down…Ultimately truth will prevail,” he said.
What is the ED case? The development caps days of drama between Soren and the investigative agency – from the ED searching his Delhi residence to his party lashing out for “maligning” his image. The investigation pertains to a “huge racket of illegal change of ownership of land by the mafia” in Jharkhand, according to the agency. Earlier, the ED had recorded the statement of Soren on January 20 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED has, so far, arrested 14 people in the case, including 2011-batch IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan who served as the director of the state’s social welfare department and deputy commissioner of Ranchi.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren submits his resignation to the Governor CP Radhakrishnan, in Ranchi. (PTI)
Champai Soren appointed as Jharkhand CM
Jharkhand Transport Minister and JMM leader Champai Soren was appointed as the state’s new Chief Minister late Wednesday night, a little over 24 hours after Hemant Soren resigned from the post. The development caps a day of jitters for the ruling JMM-Congress, which had sought two meetings with the Governor to formalise Champai’s appointment, but was told to wait both times.
As senior Congress leaders expressed fears of horse trading, MLAs of the ruling alliance had gathered at Ranchi airport in the evening to head to Hyderabad in an attempt to keep the flock together. However, inclement weather grounded flights there.
Hemant Soren had submitted his resignation to Governor C P Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday night, moments before his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate over allegations of money laundering.
Champai Soren picked as Jharkhand CM
Jharkhand Transport Minister and JMM leader Champai Soren was picked as the state’s new Chief Minister late Wednesday night, a little over 24 hours after Hemant Soren resigned from the post. The development caps a day of jitters for the ruling JMM-Congress, which had sought two meetings with the Governor to formalise Champai’s appointment, but was told to wait both times.
As senior Congress leaders expressed fears of horse trading, MLAs of the ruling alliance had gathered at Ranchi airport in the evening to head to Hyderabad in an attempt to keep the flock together. However, inclement weather grounded flights there.
Hemant Soren had submitted his resignation to Governor C P Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday night, moments before his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate over allegations of money laundering.
An arrest long in the making, Hemant Soren under central agencies’ scanner since 2020
Bringing an end to a long-drawn-out drama, senior JMM leader Hemant Soren was arrested on Wednesday night, soon after he had stepped down as Chief Minister. Before he resigned, he had spent the day being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case.
Soren’s arrest came after he had skipped eight of 10 ED summons, the last being on Monday, when he allegedly “disappeared” before officials reached his Delhi residence for questioning in the ED investigation into a “huge racket of illegal change of ownership of land by the mafia” in Jharkhand.
While dogged by investigations by Central agencies in several cases, Soren has insisted these are part of a political conspiracy to destabilise his Jharkhand government. For the JMM, the script is painfully familiar as Soren’s father, JMM founder-patriarch and three-time CM Shibu Soren’s political career remains tainted with a similar corruption allegation.
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Jharkhand News Live Updates: Operations stalled at Ranchi airport due to low visibility
All operations at the Ranchi Airport have been stalled due to low visibility conditions. MLAs belonging to the JMM-Congress coalition had arrived at the airport earlier, and were likely to fly to Hyderabad, amid political turmoil in Jharkhand.
Decode Politics: The Jharkhand wait — the Governor does not have many options
As Jharkhand continues without a Chief Minister a day after the resignation of Hemant Soren, all eyes are on Governor C P Radhakrishnan’s role. ,The Governor on Thursday evening met the JMM-Congress alliance, which is claiming the support of 48 MLAs in a House of 81. He said he would take a call on the matter soon.
However, the Raj Bhavan has little discretion on how it can use its constitutional power to appoint the CM. Article 164(1) of the Constitution provides that “the Chief Minister shall be appointed by the Governor and the other Ministers shall be appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister, and the Ministers shall hold office during the pleasure of the Governor …”
However, this power has to be exercised within the constitutional limits placed on the Governor.
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Jharkhand News Live Updates: JMM-Congress alliance MLAs leave Ranchi in bus
Several MLAs belonging to the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-Congress alliance left Ranchi in a bus, amid political turmoil in the state following former CM Hemant Soren's resignation from the post and subsequent arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case.
Earlier on Thursday, new JMM legislative party leader Champai Soren met Governor C P Radhakrishnan and had staked claim to form the government in Jharkhand.
Jharkhand News Live Updates: 'Gathbandhan very strong, our number will reach 46-47,' says Champai Soren
After meeting Jharkhand Governor C P Radhakrishnan, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) legislative party leader Champai Soren said the 'gathbandhan' (alliance) between JMM and Congress was "very strong" and their numbers were expected to rise to 46-47.
Earlier, before five gathbandhan MLAs met Radhakrishnan, 41 MLAs had counted themselves.
Hemant Soren’s video message moments before arrest: ‘Bid to make Jharkhand a victim of political conspiracy like Bihar’
Stating that in the next fight he will “come out stronger” and give a “befitting reply” to those who conspired to get him arrested, former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in a video statement recorded minutes before his arrest on Wednesday night said there was an attempt to make Jharkhand “rajnitik shadyantra ka shikar (prey to political conspiracy)” like Bihar.
In the video message to the people of Jharkhand, Soren said he didn’t have much time and would continue his fight. He hoped he would be in the hearts of every person in the state and also underlined he had full faith in the judiciary. “Recently, Bihar fell prey to political conspiracy. Now they want to make Jharkhand the second victim of political conspiracy,” said the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader.
Soren said people would come to know of his arrest on Thursday and that his “opponents will pat their back for this win” but added that he hoped that the people of Jharkhand would support him in this fight.
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As Jharkhand hits turbulence again, numbers put BJP mostly in pilot’s seat
On Wednesday, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren resigned from his post, just ahead of his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate on corruption charges. It’s another crisis for the Opposition INDIA bloc, of which Soren’s Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) is a member, ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, days after JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar’s exit from the alliance.
However, for Jharkhand, the latest uncertainty may seem like par for the course, having seen plenty since it was carved out of Bihar in 2000 – with Champai Soren likely to be Jharkhand’s seventh CM across 11 governments. The state has also seen three instances of President’s Rule due to weak coalition governments.
And while the BJP has been dominant in the last three Lok Sabha elections, the Assembly polls continue to give no party an outright majority.
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Tamil Nadu knew him as ‘right man in wrong party’; will Governor Radhakrishnan, ex-BJP TN chief, hold true to that?
In Tamil Nadu, the state to which he originally belongs, Jharkhand Governor C P Radhakrishnan, the latest to find himself in a gubernatorial hot spot, is known to be “the right leader in the wrong party”.
“I would say that he is the Atal Bihari Vajpayee of Tamil Nadu,” a senior DMK leader says, adding that the apprehension is that the Jharkhand situation, given the delay by Radhakrishnan in inviting the JMM-Congress alliance for swearing-in after Hemant Soren’s resignation, might end that well-earned reputation.
The 11th Governor of Jharkhand, Radhakrishnan made his mark in the Tamil Nadu BJP as a no-nonsense, results-driven, straightforward, pragmatic and “clean” leader. An RSS member from the young age of 16, he won two Lok Sabha elections from Coimbatore as a BJP candidate, in 1998 and 1999, the first time with the highest victory margin in the state in polls held soon after the bomb blasts in the town allegedly meant to target L K Advani. Radhakrishnan would become a BJP National Executive member and serve as the party Tamil Nadu president from 2004 to 2007.
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Jharkhand News Live Updates: Champai Soren reaches Raj Bhavan to meet Governor
Champai Soren, the new JMM legislative party leader, reached Raj Bhavan in Ranchi on Thursday to meet Governor C P Radhakrishnan, to stake claim to form the government in alliance with the Congress.
Champai had earlier also staked claim to form the government, but the Governor had sought more time.
43 MLAs of JMM-Congress count themselves, 5 to meet Governor shortly
43 MLAs belonging to the JMM-Congress coalition in Jharkhand counted themselves on Thursday. Five of them are expected to meet Jharkhand Governor C P Radhakrishnan shortly.
In the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, 43 is the majority mark.
Hemant Soren sent to 1-day judicial custody day after arrest by ED
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Hemant Soren was sent to one-day judicial custody on Thursday, one day after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case and his earlier resignation as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand.
Soren will be in judicial custody till his next hearing on Friday.
The ED had asked for 10 days of custody. After hearing both sides, the PMLA court kept February 2 for further hearing and order.