Hemant Soren was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand this evening, marking the end of a dramatic five-month period. This journey began in January when he resigned just minutes before his potential arrest by the Enforcement Directorate over allegations of involvement in a multi-crore land fraud. By June, he had secured bail from a High Court, which noted the lack of evidence indicating his direct involvement in the scam.
The swearing-in ceremony took place at 5 PM at Raj Bhavan, with his father, Shibu Soren, the patriarch of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and a two-time former Chief Minister, in attendance. Hemant Soren sought his father’s blessings earlier in the day, expressing his readiness to tackle forthcoming challenges.
Hemant Soren’s resignation five months ago included significant drama, famously termed “the case of the missing Chief Minister,” aimed at avoiding the distinction of being the first sitting state head to be arrested. Prior to his oath-taking, he posted a video message on X (formerly Twitter), criticizing “arrogant people intoxicated with power,” a pointed reference to the BJP, and declared, “Today, the public opinion of the people of Jharkhand will rise again. Jai Jharkhand, Jai Hind.”
5 महीने पहले सत्ता के मद में चूर अहंकारियों ने मुझे चुप कराने की कोशिश की थी। आज झारखंडियों की जनमत वापस बुलंद होगी।
जय झारखंड, जय हिंद pic.twitter.com/E9HCs6t0oT
— Hemant Soren (@HemantSorenJMM) July 4, 2024
There was never much doubt about Hemant Soren’s return to power. Senior JMM leader Champai Soren, who had temporarily replaced Hemant Soren, resigned, albeit reluctantly. At the JMM legislature party meeting, Champai Soren expressed his dissatisfaction, hinting at feeling “insulted.” Despite this, the JMM re-endorsed Hemant Soren, appointing him as the legislature leader. Following this decision, Champai Soren formally resigned to Governor CP Radhakrishnan.
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Champai Soren’s subsequent comments were measured, emphasizing his adherence to the coalition’s decisions. He noted, “When the leadership had changed, I was given responsibility. After Hemant Soren came back, we picked him as our leader, and I resigned. I am following the decision taken by the coalition.”
The JMM leads an alliance that includes the Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal, and a Left party. The timing of Hemant Soren’s return is a strategic move by the ruling alliance in preparation for the upcoming Assembly election later this year. In the 2019 elections, this alliance secured 47 seats, surpassing the majority mark, while the BJP, contesting alone, won 25 seats.
The ruling alliance is counting on Hemant Soren to spearhead their campaign. However, the decision to have Champai Soren step down might provide the BJP with political ammunition. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has already criticized the move on X, claiming, “the Champai Soren era is over” and alleging that non-family members have no political future in a family-oriented party. He further challenged Champai Soren to oppose the “corrupt Hemant Sorenji.”
