Hemant Soren Elected Jharkhand Mukti Morcha Central President

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren was on Tuesday elected as the central president of the ruling JMM, while his father Shibu Soren was made the "founding patron" of the party, a JMM leader said.

Shibu Soren had been the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's chief for the past 38 years, while his son Hemant served the party as its executive president since 2015, he said.

Senior party leader and Dumka MP Nalin Soren proposed the name of Shibu Soren as the founding patron during the JMM's 13th Central Convention and it was seconded by the Maheshpur MLA Stephen Marandi.

Thereafter, Shibu Soren proposed the name of Hemant Soren as the central president of JMM, which was passed unanimously.

"The responsibility that respected Baba Dishom Guruji (Shibu Soren) has given me, the faith that lakhs of party colleagues have shown in me, I will work hard day and night to fulfill it. This support of all of you is my strength," Hemant Soren later posted on X.

He said that he would serve the people of the state with double strength.

Addressing the concluding ceremony of two-day convention, the JMM central president said, "The party would decide its future journey from this point. We will move towards a long road after the end of this convention." The CM said that Shibu Soren devoted his life to the uplift of the poor and marginalised people of Jharkhand.

"Despite limited resources, he took the pledge to protect the people and 'Jal Jungle, Jamin' (water, forest and land) of Jharkhand, which is not an ordinary feat. The entire country knows him as Guruji," he said.

On being elected as the central president of the JMM, Hemant Soren said he has been given a great responsibility.

"I am preparing a roadmap so that we can take the ideals of the party to greater heights. JMM is not a party but a reflection of the thoughts of the people of Jharkhand," he said.

The CM said India is the biggest democracy in the world but it is still reeling under discrimination on the basis of caste, creed and economic condition.

"The state government is preparing schemes for the betterment of 3.25 crore people of Jharkhand. We do not discriminate on the basis of religion. The benefits of Maiya Samman Yojana are reaching all the sections of the society," he added.

The CM also announced that an ex gratia of Rs 1 lakh would be provided after the death of any 'andolankari' (who fought for Jharkhand statehood). 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)