Chief Minister Champai Soren submitted his resignation to Governor CP Radhakrishnan at the Raj Bhavan in Ranchi on Wednesday. This move paves the way for Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) executive president Hemant Soren to reclaim his position as the state’s Chief Minister.
Following Champai Soren’s resignation, Hemant Soren immediately staked his claim to form the new government. Champai Soren told reporters, “After Hemant Soren was back, our alliance took this decision and we chose Hemant Soren as our leader. Now, I have resigned from the post of Chief Minister.”
Hemant Soren, who was released from Birsa Munda Jail on June 28 after nearly five months of incarceration, had previously resigned as Chief Minister before his arrest on January 31. He was granted bail by the Jharkhand High Court in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam.
The leadership change has sparked reactions from opposition figures. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey criticized the JMM, suggesting that in family-oriented parties, outsiders have limited political futures.
“The Champai Soren era is over in Jharkhand. In the family-oriented party, people outside the family have no political future. I wish the chief minister drew inspiration from Bhagwan Birsa Munda and stood up against the corrupt Hemant Soren ji,” he posted on X.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed concern over the removal of a senior tribal leader from the Chief Minister’s post, calling it “deeply distressing.”
“The removal of a senior tribal leader from the post of Chief Minister in Jharkhand by the JMM and Congress party is deeply distressing. I am certain that the people of Jharkhand will strongly condemn this action and firmly reject it,” he said in a post on X.
Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in January on charges related to an alleged land scam and money laundering. The investigation concerns the purported generation of substantial proceeds through the alleged forgery of official records, involving “fake sellers and buyers” to acquire large parcels of land.
(Inputs from ANI)