Champai Soren, former Jharkhand chief minister and senior JMM leader, said on Sunday that he felt a 'blow to self-respect' when asked to resign after Chief Minister Hemant Soren's release on bail. This comes amid speculation that he may join the BJP.
In a post on X in Hindi, Soren said he was unaware of the agenda of the meeting where he was asked to step down. He stated he had no desire for power and resigned immediately, but felt disrespected.
In his post, Soren stated three options for his future. "First, to retire from politics, second, to form my own separate organisation and third, if I find a companion on this path, then to travel further with him. From that day till today, and till the upcoming Jharkhand Assembly elections, all options are open for me in this journey."
This comes after some media reports had on Friday claimed that Soren could join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the assembly elections. Soren arrived in Delhi on Sunday sparking intense speculation about his political future. When questioned about the potential defection, he said, "I have come here for my personal work."
Soren was appointed Chief Minister in January after Hemant Soren was arrested in an alleged land scam case. However, he stepped down in July after Hemant Soren was granted bail and resumed the top post.
Following this, speculation was rife that Champai Soren was reportedly not happy with the way he was unceremoniously removed from the top post to pave way for Hemant Soren to become the Chief Minister of Jharkhand once again.
Read The Full Statement Of Champai Soren Here
“After watching the news today, many questions must be arising in your mind. What happened that brought the son of a poor farmer living in a small village of Kolhan to this point.
From raising the voice of workers against industrial houses at the beginning of my public life to the Jharkhand movement, I have always done politics of public concern. I have been trying to get the rights of the tribals, natives, poor, labourers, students and people of backward classes of the state. Whether I held any post or not, I was always available to the public, raising the issues of those people who had dreamt of a better future with the state of Jharkhand.
Meanwhile, on January 31, after an unprecedented turn of events, the India Alliance chose me to serve the state as the 12th Chief Minister of Jharkhand. From the first day of my tenure to the last day (July 3), I discharged my duties towards the state with full devotion and dedication. During this period, we took many decisions in public interest and, as always, was always available for everyone. The people of the state will evaluate the decisions we took keeping in mind the elders, women, youth, students and every section of the society and every person of the state.
When I got power, I paid homage to heroes like Baba Tilka Manjhi, Bhagwan Birsa Munda and Sido-Kanhu and pledged to serve the state. Every child in Jharkhand knows that during my tenure, I never did anything wrong to anyone, nor did I let anything wrong happen to anyone.
Meanwhile, the day after Hul Diwas, I came to know that all my programs for the next two days have been postponed by the party leadership. One of these was a public program in Dumka, while the other was to distribute appointment letters to PGT teachers. On asking, I came to know that a meeting of the legislative party has been called by the coalition on July 3, till then you cannot attend any program as CM.
Can there be anything more humiliating in a democracy than a Chief Minister's programs being cancelled by another person? Despite swallowing this bitter pill of insult, I said that the appointment letters would be distributed in the morning, while the legislative party meeting would be held in the afternoon, so I would attend it from there. But, I was flatly refused from there.
For the first time in my spotless political journey of the last four decades, I was broken from within. I could not understand what to do. For two days, I sat quietly and introspected, kept searching for my mistake in the whole incident. I did not have the greed for power even a bit, but to whom could I show this blow to my self-respect? Where could I express the pain inflicted by my own people?
When the party's central executive meeting has not been held for years, and one-sided orders are passed, then whom should I go to and tell my problems? I am counted among the senior members in this party, the rest are juniors, and the supremo who is senior to me is no longer active in politics due to health, then what option did I have? If he had been active, perhaps the situation would have been different.
Although the Chief Minister has the right to call a meeting of the legislative party, I was not even told the agenda of the meeting. During the meeting, I was asked to resign. I was surprised, but I had no greed for power, so I immediately resigned, but my heart was emotional due to the blow to my self-respect.
I was so emotional due to the insulting behaviour I was facing for the last three days that I was trying to control my tears, but they were only interested in the chair. I felt as if I had no existence in that party, no existence at all, for which I had dedicated my entire life. In the meantime, many such insulting incidents happened, which I do not want to mention right now. After so much insult and contempt, I was forced to look for an alternative path.
With a heavy heart, I said in the same meeting of the legislative party that - "A new chapter of my life is going to start from today." I had three options in this. First, to retire from politics, second, to form my own separate organisation and third, if I find a companion on this path, then to travel further with him.
From that day till today, and till the upcoming Jharkhand Assembly elections, all options are open for me in this journey.
Yours,
Champai Soren”
