The JMM-led ruling alliance in Jharkhand was grappling with a crisis Sunday after JMM senior leader and former Chief Minister Champai Soren, who reached Delhi amid speculation that he was ready to cross over to the BJP, said he had been “humiliated” by the JMM and was now left with three options – to retire, start a new party, or join another party. His remarks drew a sharp response from Chief Minister Hemant Soren who accused the BJP of “poaching MLAs” and “dividing society”. The PTI news agency quoted him saying in a Godda function that “money is such a thing that it doesn't take long for politicians to move here and there”. Hemant Soren, who returned to the post in July after being granted bail in an alleged money laundering case (Champai Soren had to step down as CM), claimed that the BJP had brought people from Gujarat, Assam and Maharashtra to “spread poison among the tribals, Dalits, backward classes and minorities and make them fight with each other”, the PTI reported. He was quoted saying: “Forget about society, these people work to break families and parties. They poach MLAs.” Champai Soren, in a post on X, claimed that on July 3, he was told that all his scheduled programmes were cancelled In a statement, he said he had no one in the party to go to with his problems as the JMM’s central executive meeting had not been held for years. “I am counted among the senior members in this party, the rest are juniors, and the supremo (Shibu Soren), who is senior to me, is no longer active in politics due to health, then what option did I have? If he had been active, perhaps the situation would have been different,” he said. Hitting back, Hemant said the state Assembly elections are due by the end of this year but the poll schedule would be “decided by the Opposition party in the state, not by the Election Commission”. “It seems the Election Commission is no longer a constitutional institution, as it has been occupied by BJP people,” he alleged. “I challenge them (BJP) that if the Assembly elections are held today, they will be wiped out from Jharkhand tomorrow,” the CM said. BJP sources, however, said the “negotiations regarding Champai's future” are still ongoing in the party and that his public outburst was “to buy time”. “The BJP already has three former CMs – (former Union Minister) Arjun Munda, (Jharkhand BJP chief) Babulal Marandi and (Odisha Governor) Raghubar Das. Also, there is former CM Madhu Koda’s wife Geeta and Shibu Soren’s daughter-in-law Sita. All these leaders are power centres in themselves. What offer will Champai be given to bring him in?” a source said. Earlier in the day, Champai heightened speculation about crossing over to the BJP after he landed in Delhi a day after making a trip to Kolkata. He denied meeting Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, claiming that he was in Kolkata and then proceeded to Delhi for “personal work”. “Abhi hum jahan par hain, wahin par hain (I am now where I am),” he told media persons in Delhi. However, both BJP and the JMM insiders maintained that Champai is set to join the BJP. “He (Champai) will most likely join the BJP. But the Hemant Soren group in Delhi will do its best to avoid this scenario. So there may be other outcomes too,” a source in the BJP said. JMM sources said differences emerged within the party after it denied Champai’s request to make his son its candidate from the Ghatshila seat in the upcoming Assembly polls. “He (Champai) is just building a premise to quit and thus many baseless stories are being spread. It is clear he went to Kolkata and met BJP leaders. Everything will be clear if and when he joins the BJP,” a JMM leader said. Tension has been simmering in both the Hemant and Champai camps over the transition of power since early July. While Champai eventually gave up the CM’s chair, sources said it did not happen without hiccups. “He (Champai) is a mass leader and not a discarded politician. He felt disheartened that he was asked to give up the CM’s chair,” sources aware of the JMM-Congress coalition’s meetings on the issue told The Indian Express. Sources said Champai was of the opinion that replacing him ahead of the Assembly polls would not send out a “good message”, especially at a time when Hemant was out on bail and attempts to “destabilise” the government were a concern. Looking to fuel the JMM’s internal power struggle, Jharkhand BJP chief Babulal Marandi had said that tribal leaders from outside the Shibu Soren family were only “kaam chalau (ad hoc leaders)” in the JMM. “They (tribal leaders of JMM) must understand that they are meant only to be the palanquin bearers of the Shibu Soren family,” he said. The 81-member Jharkhand Assembly currently has 47 INDIA bloc MLAs – including 30 from the JMM, 16 from the Congress and one from the RJD – while the BJP and its allies have 30 legislators. There are two Independent MLAs while the CPI (M-L) and the NCP have one legislator each. Meanwhile, Kharsawan MLA Dasrath Gagrai, who is said to be among the JMM MLAs speculated to be joining the BJP along with Champai, said: “I deny the news of my joining BJP… misleading news is being spread in the media about me that I am going to Delhi with Champai Soren… I am currently involved in foundation stone laying/inauguration programmes in my constituency. The people of Kharsawan have made me win the elections…I owe a huge debt to the voters…I cannot betray my voters by joining the BJP. Shibu Soren is a widely recognised leader of this state and I am in politics under his patronage. We will eat half the bread but will not let Guruji’s honour go down. JMM is the party of the soil of this state and I am proud that I am a soldier of this party.”
