Champai Soren Leaves JMM Officially, Resigns As Jharkhand Minister Ahead Of Joining BJP

Champai Soren Quits JMM: Former Jharkhand chief minister Champai Soren quit the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Wednesday. He also reportedly resigned as a member of the Jharkhand Assembly and a minister in the state government. Champai is set to join the BJP on Thursday. Citing the reason behind leaving JMM, he said he was "aggrieved" by the party's "present style of functioning".

"Today I resigned from the primary membership and all posts of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha. I will continue to fight on the issues of tribals, Dalits, backward and common people of Jharkhand," Champai said.

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The senior tribal leader's exit from JMM came less than two months after he relinquished the CM post for party executive president Hemant Soren, who had stepped down from the helm of the state govenment before his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in January 31 this year. 

Hemant reassumed the CM post last month after being released on bail. Though speculations about his disgruntlement continued to dominate the narrative, Champai on Wednesday said he would be joining the BJP in the interest of Jharkhand.

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During the day, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is also the BJP's co-election in-charge for the upcoming Assembly polls in Jharkhand, claimed that two sub-inspectors attached to Jharkhand Police's Special Branch were apprehended by Champai's supporters at a hotel in Delhi while the duo monitored the tribal leader's movement. On Monday evening, after Champai's meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi, Sarma told the press that the veteran leader would join the BJP on August 30.

(With inputs from agencies)