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Champai Soren resigned from the post of Jharkhand Chief Minister. (Image: PTI)
Champai Soren on Wednesday tendered his resignation as Jharkhand Chief Minister. JMM leader Hemant Soren is set to stake claim to form government in the state
Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren on Wednesday resigned from the top post, setting the stage for the return of Hemant Soren as the CM again. According to the sources, Hemant Soren met Governor CP Radhakrishnan and is set to stake claim to form the government in the state.
Hemant Soren has been elected as leader of the ruling Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc parties in the Assembly and is set to return as the 13th Chief Minister of the state.
Soren was granted bail in a land scam case by the Jharkhand High Court on June 28, nearly five months after he was jailed in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. He had resigned as the CM before his arrest on January 31. The court observed that prima facie there seems to be no evidence supporting the ED’s charge against Hemant Soren.
Champai Soren Was A Stopgap CM: BJP Alleges
“Soren family does not tolerate power staying out of their hands…Champai Soren was a stopgap CM. JMM had then claimed that he would stay full term. Even when Champai was the CM…he was humiliated. He was called in the jail where instructions about transfers and postings were given to him. This just shows how family fiefdom runs in the state,” BJP spokesperson Pratul Shehdeo said.
Will Hemant Soren Give Better Results In Jharkhand Assembly Polls?
A Congress leader, in charge of Jharkhand, told News18 that the INDIA Front believes Hemant Soren leading the alliance in the upcoming Assembly elections will give them better results. Jharkhand state elections are due by the end of this year.
“The Lok Sabha results show that tribals in Jharkhand believed that Hemant was wronged. The corruption charges against him did not stick. There could be further consolidation in India block’s favour once he is back in the saddle,” he said.
In the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, the INDIA front won five seats in the tribal-dominated state and the BJP-led NDA won nine of 14 seats. JMM won three seats, while the Congress party registered victory over two seats in Jharkhand. Notably, the INDIA Bloc also defeated big BJP faces like Arjun Munda from Khunti.
Meanwhile, the party cites these wins to argue that allegations of corruption have not stuck to Hemant Soren. The High Court’s observations in its bail order are also being cited to argue that Hemant was a victim of the political witch hunt.