Hemant Soren and Champai Soren attended the meeting of the ruling coalition today
Hemant Soren is set to take over as Jharkhand Chief Minister again after the alliance of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Congress and the RJD elected him leader, paving the way for his return to the top post.
Hemant Soren had stepped down as Chief Minister in January before he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case. He was granted bail last week. The JMM leader has denied all charges. Granting him bail last week, the Jharkhand High Court said there is reason to believe that he is "not guilty of the offence as alleged".
All is, however, not well. Champai Soren, who had taken over as Chief Minister after Hemant Soren stepped down, is not happy with the decision to replace him, sources have said. Champai Soren, it is learnt, may be named JMM's executive president. He is expected to hand over his resignation at 8 pm, sources said.
At the meeting of JMM's legislature party, Champai Soren said he was feeling "insulted", the sources said. The party, however, went ahead and named Hemant Soren its legislature party leader.
Champai Soren may submit his resignation to the Governor this evening, setting in motion the process for Hemant Soren to take over.
Leaders of the ruling coalition reached a consensus on Hemant Soren's return during a meeting at Champai Soren's residence today. The meeting was attended by Congress' Jharkhand in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir, state president Rajesh Thakur and Hemant Soren's wife and MLA Kalpana Soren.
Speculation regarding a change of guard were triggered after all important programmes of Chief Minister Champai Soren were cancelled today.
Elections in Jharkhand are months away and the JMM is looking at fighting the polls with Hemant Soren as its face. But the decision to replace Champai Soren will provide the Opposition BJP with ammunition in the run-up to the polls and strengthen its dynasty narrative.
Setting the tone for the BJP's offensive, Nishikant Dubey, party MP from Jharkhand's Godda, said in a social media post that the "Champai Soren era is over in Jharkhand".
Targeting the JMM, he said, "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."
Champai Soren, 67, is a veteran leader of the JMM and has been with party founder and Hemant Soren's father Shibu Soren for decades now. Earlier, he was a cabinet minister in the Hemant Soren government.