Champai Soren feels ‘insulted’ on being replaced by Hemant Soren as Jharkhand CM, decision likely today

Champai Soren is likely to resign as Chief Minister of Jharkhand to make way for Hemant Soren to takeover, months after the latter submitted his resignation before his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam.

Hemant Soren was elected legislature party leader on Wednesday, July 3, after a consensus between the MLAs and leaders of the alliance of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

"A decision was taken in the meeting to replace Champai Soren with Hemant Soren," PTI quoted a party source as saying. While a decision has been taken to replace Champai Soren with Hemant Soren, according to party sources, all is supposedly not well in the JMM camp.

According to the sources quoted by NDTV, Champai Soren felt “insulted” with the decision taken at the JMM legislature party meet. Champai Soren is likely to submit his resignation to Jharkhand Governor this evening.

Hemant Soren is later likely to submit a letter of confidence to the Governor, showing his strength to form the government. If invited, Hemant Soren will become the 13th Chief Minister of Jharkhand.

Hemant Soren had resigned as the chief minister before his arrest on January 31. Champai Soren took oath as the Chief Minsiter of Jharkhand on February 2. Hemant Soren was released from jail on June 28 after nearly five months, as the high court granted him bail in a money laundering case.

Amid the change of guard in Jharkhand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is taking potshots at the Soren family for removing Champai Soren as the chief minister for Hemant Soren. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said outsiders have “no political future in a family-oriented party.”

In a post on X, Nishkant Dubey said, “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 [Champai Soren] drew inspiration from Bhagwan Birsa Munda and stood up against the corrupt Hemant Soren ji.”

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted: “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.”