Days after his release from prison, JMM leader Hemant Soren is likely to return as Jharkhand's chief minister for a third term following a consensus among his party's alliance MLAs, news agency PTI reported citing party sources.
Sources said that Champai Soren, who took oath as the 12th chief minister of the state on February 2, might soon resign from the post. He had sought an appointment with Governor CP Radhakrishnan and the CM will all on him on Wednesday evening, Raj Bhavan sources were cited by PTI.
The sources said that during a meeting at Champai Soren's residence, leaders of and MLAs of the JMM-led alliance unanimously decided to elect Hemant Soren as the JMM legislature party leader.
"A decision was taken in the meeting to make Hemant Soren as the Chief Minister of the state again," a party source told PTI.
Present at the meeting were Congress Jharkhand in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir and its state president Rajesh Thakur, Hemant Soren's wife Kalpana and brother Basant.
Last week, addressing the party workers, Soren had said that a befitting response would be given to those who conspired against them. He also took a swipe at the BJP, saying that the "saffron party will be wiped out" from the state.
Meanwhile, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey -- in a post on X -- 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 drew inspiration from Bhagwan Birsa Munda and stood up against the corrupt Hemant Soren ji."
BJP Jharkhand president Babulal Marandi asserted that the tribals outside Shibu Soren's family are only temporary in the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha party, adding that the family belives in using people according to their needs.
Notably, Hemant is Shibu Soren's son. Marandi further alleged that the real face of JMM, which talked about rising above nepotism by electing a new chief minister, had once again been exposed.
He claimed that the "tiger of Kolhan", as Champai Soren is known in political circles, has been turned into a mouse today.
Soren, after five months of his arrest in the money laundering case, was released from jail on June 28 after the Jharkhand High Court granted him bail. The PMLA charges on the JMM leader were linked to the illegal possession of 8.36 acres of land.
The former Jharkhand CM had told his party workers that nobody can hide the truth, adding that it comes out sooner or later.
"I have come amongst you once again to provide you with leadership. I assure you that the results of Lok Sabha elections have given strength to natives and tribals of Jharkhand," Soren said.
He had said that his party and members were ready for the Assembly elections in the state, which he noted were going to be held earlier as per information provided to him.
He claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party's dream of winning the Jharkhand Assembly elections is just a "day dream".
Soren had resigned from the post of Chief Minister after he was arrested on January 31, 2024. Despite the allegations levelled against him, the JMM leader has consistently denied any wrongdoing, claiming that the accusations are politically motivated.
(With PTI inputs
