Champai Soren Resigns as Jharkhand CM, Hemant Soren Set to Return

Ranchi: Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren resigned on Wednesday, submitting his resignation to Governor CP Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhavan. This paves the way for Hemant Soren to assume the Chief Minister position for the third time.

The change in leadership was decided earlier in the day when the INDIA alliance’s MLAs and leaders reached a consensus. During a meeting at Champai Soren’s residence in Ranchi, they unanimously elected Hemant Soren as the JMM legislature party leader.

Champai Soren, a longtime ally of the Soren family, had taken office five months ago after Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with an alleged money laundering case linked to a land grab matter. Hemant Soren spent five months in Birsa Munda Central Jail before being granted bail by the Jharkhand High Court on June 28.

Discussions are ongoing about assigning Champai Soren new roles as Chairman of the UPA coordination committee and Working President of JMM. The INDIA bloc’s meeting was attended by Congress’s Jharkhand in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir, state president Rajesh Thakur, and Hemant Soren’s brother Basant and wife Kalpana.

Champai Soren, 67, is a veteran JMM leader who has been closely associated with party founder Shibu Soren, Hemant Soren’s father, for many years.