Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren Resigns from JMM to Join BJP

Former Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Champai Soren, announced his resignation from the primary membership and all posts of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Wednesday. He is set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on August 30.

Soren stated that his decision to transition to the BJP is made in the interest of Jharkhand. He communicated this intention following a meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi earlier this week. In a statement, Soren expressed, «My decision (to join BJP) is in the interest of Jharkhand… I am used to struggles.»

Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Chief Minister of Assam, accused Soren of being monitored by his own government’s police for the last five months. Allegedly, two sub-inspectors from the Special Branch of Jharkhand Police were apprehended in a hotel in Delhi while surveilling the former Chief Minister, according to Sarma.

Responding to the allegations regarding surveillance, Soren indicated that he is unperturbed by any situation or conspiracies against him. He further refrained from commenting on claims suggesting he was involved in ‘operation lotus’, a term typically used to denote attempts to overthrow governments led by non-BJP parties. Soren’s son, Babulal Soren, criticized the JMM for failing to respect their family and stated that the BJP has welcomed them with dignity.

In the meantime, Babulal Marandi, the state president of the BJP, called for an investigation by a sitting judge of the High Court into the claims of surveillance on Champai Soren. During a press conference, Marandi asserted, «Two special branch officials have been arrested in Delhi and there are allegations of attempts to honey trap Champai Soren ji. This is a serious issue.”

Champai Soren had previously taken office as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand on February 2, immediately after Hemant Soren resigned due to an impending arrest by the Enforcement Directorate over a money laundering case. Soren later resigned, leading to Hemant Soren’s return to the position in July following his release on bail.