The political turmoil in Jharkhand further intensified since Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case. Champai Soren, the CM-in-waiting, today held a meeting with the governor CP Radhakrishnan and sought prompt decision in the matter of new government formation.
It was a night of major developments yesterday in Jharkhand as its chief minister, Hemant Soren, got arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case and another Soren was named as the new CM by the ruling party, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).
Champai Soren, state transport minister and a seven-time MLA, was named the new chief minister of Jharkhand by Hemant Soren-led JMM while there was strong speculation that the latter will be arrested by the ED in the money laundering case linked to a land scam. The speculation turned true, with Hemant Soren's arrest by the ED on Wednesday night.
The plan of Jharkhand's JMM-led coalition MLAs to move to Hyderabad from Ranchi amid a political crisis unfolding in Jharkhand was cancelled today as the chartered planes hired for thee MLAs could not take off due to poor visibility.
Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur confirmed on Thursday that a total of 43 coalition MLAs are being moved out of the state as the political crisis deepens following Hemant Soren's arrest. He, however, did not disclose where the MLAs are being moved to. "We are going to the airport. You know what kind of people they are; they can do anything anytime. A total of 43 MLAs are going," Thakur said.
Earlier today, sources told PTI that the JMM-led coalition in the state is considering relocating its MLAs to Hyderabad to prevent potential poaching attempts by the BJP.
Champai Soren arrived at Ranchi's Raj Bhavan to meet Jharkhand Governor CP Radhakrishnan and five MLAs.
After the meeting, Champai Soren said "We have demanded that the process to start the formation of the government begin. He (the governor) said that the process will begin soon."
Right ahead of the meting with the Governor today, the ruling coalition of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Congress and Rashtriya Lok Dal released a video of the 43 Opposition MLAs in support of Champai Soren.
Hemant Soren's lawyer, Advocate Rajeev Ranjan, said, “We have argued that the entire case is motivated and has been designed to demolish or to bring down a democratically elected government.”
He added, “The (former) CM (Hemant Soren) was picked up from the Governor's house. The entire process is vitiated and illegal, and there's absolutely no evidence against Hemant Soren."
Hemant Soren was brought before a PMLA court in Ranchi as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) requested seven to eight days of custody for him in relation to land fraud case. Subsequently, he has been placed under judicial custody for one day.
In a recent development, preparations are underway to take all the Jharkhand MLAs to Hyderabad to tackle any poaching attempt, source told Outlook India. Champai Soren, who was named as the new Jharkhand chief minister after Hemant Soren's arrest by ED, reportedly has the support of over 41 MLAs, which is also the majority mark in the 80-member assembly.
As a situation of confusion continues to unfold in Jharkhand as there has been no government in the state for several hours now, the Chief Minister-in-waiting Champai Soren had reportedly approached Governor CP Radhakrishnan, urging him to take immediate steps for government formation. As per media reports, the Governor has now called Mr Soren at 5.30 pm.
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear on Friday a plea of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha executive president and former chief minister Hemant Soren against his arrest in the money laundering case.
Meanwhile, Hemant Soren's wife Kalpana met him at the ED office on Thursday morning.
Former chief minister Hemant Soren recorded a video message before his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering case on Wednesday. Soren said that "time has come to wage a war against a feudal system that oppresses poor, Dalit and tribals."
"I wil not cow down...Ultimately truth will prevail," Soren said in his video message recorded just before his arrest.
Soren also claimed that he was not linked to the money laundering case in which he was arrested.
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The Jharkhand High Court also, meanwhile, on Thursday heard a petition filed by Hemant Soren challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate. After moving the Supreme Court, Kapil Sibal and senior lawyer Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Soren, told the apex court that the JMM leader will be withdrawing his plea from the Jharkhand High Court on the issue.
'Won't Compromise...': Hemant Soren Writes After Arrest
Hemant Soren, who took charge of Jharkhand as its youngest chief minister at 38, was arrested by the ED on Wednesday night. He took to microblogging platform X to give the message that he "will not beg for compromise."
"...Life is a great battle, I have fought every moment, I will fight every moment but I will not beg for compromise," he shared on X a poem in Hindi, which roughly translates to this, soon after his arrest.
It is said that Hemant Soren was not the first choice of his father and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) supremo Shibu Soren for inheriting his political legacy, but was groomed in politics after his elder brother Durga died of suspected kidney failure in 2009.
Born on August 10, 1975, at Nemra village near Hazaribag, Hemant did his intermediate from Patna High School and later joined Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra in Ranchi, but dropped out.
Known for his love of badminton, bicycles and books, Hemant has two children with wife Kalpana.
Former Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), moved the Jharkhand High Court on Wednesday night.
The ED investigation, under which Soren has been arrested, pertains to a "huge racket of illegal change of ownership of land by the mafia" in Jharkhand.
The ED arrested Soren after over seven hours of questioning on money laundering charges in an alleged land fraud case. Before the arrest, he tendered his resignation as chief minister.
While it was not known why Soren moved court, his petition will be heard by the bench of Acting Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Anubha Rawat Choudhary at 10.30 am on Thursday
Hours after an ED team arrived at the residence of Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren for questioning in connection with the money laundering case, his party Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and alliance partner Congress named Champai Soren as the new chief minister of the state.
Champai Soren, born in 1956, is the current state transport minister, is a seven-time MLA and represents the Seraikella constituency. He was as an Independent MLA before joining the JMM, a move he made when he was an active part of the movement demanding separate statehood for Jharkhand.
Hemant Soren was arrested on Wednesday, two days after the Enforcement Directorate was trying to "locate" him as he went "untraceable" when ED sleuths arrived at his Delhi residence in connection with the summons over the money laundering case.
On Tuesday, a day after an ED team visited the Jharkhand CM and JMM executive president's Delhi residence to question him, the 48-year-old Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader came by road from Delhi to Ranchi, undertaking a more than 1250 km journey.
The entire ED-chasing-Soren episode was due to the summons issued to the Jharkhand CM who was asked by the probe agency to confirm his availability for questioning on either January 29 or January 31.
ED official seized Rs 36 lakh, a BMW SUV and some "incriminating" documents during the search operations at his house in Delhi on Monday.