• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

Jharkhand News: Political turmoil erupted in Jharkhand on Wednesday evening after Chief Minister Hemant Soren resigned from his post, following intense questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the money laundering probe pertaining to the Jharkhand Land Grabbing case. Shortly after Soren submitted his resignation at the Raj Bhavan, which was accepted by the Governor CP Radhakrishnan, the JMM leader was arrested by the ED.

Jharkhand Transport Minister and a loyalist of Hemant Soren, Champai Soren will take charge as the new state chief minister after he was elected as the leader of the Legislative Party in the Jharkhand Assembly. JMM MLAs held a meeting and went to the Raj Bhavan to apprise Governor CP Radhakrishnan of their decision. JMM heads a coalition government in the state which also includes Congress.

Champai Soren said he has staked a claim to form the new government in Jharkhand with the support of 47 legislators. "We have staked a claim to form the new government with the support of 47 MLAs," JMM legislative party leader Champai Soren said, as quoted by PTI.

Indications of Heman Soren's likely arrest came to be known from around 5 pm and the ruling coalition intensified its discussions to select his successor. Several MLAs were present at the CM's house since morning. Soon after the meeting of JMM MLAs, all the lawmakers of the ruling coalition reached Raj Bhavan to stake claim for a new government to be headed by senior JMM leader Champai Soren.

Also Read: Who Is Champai Soren, New Jharkhand CM Who Replaced Hemant Soren

A meeting on Tuesday evening of the JMM legislators, chaired by Hemant Soren, who returned to Ranchi from New Delhi, had decided that in the event he was arrested, a new government should be formed under a new leader and an appointment was taken with the Governor on Wednesday night for this purpose.

Hemant Soren reached his Kanke Road residence at around 1:50 pm on Tuesday along with a security guard amid uncertainty about his location. The ED had been on the lookout for Soren in Delhi since Monday morning. They searched for him at several places including his Delhi residence and Jharkhand Bhawan, but he was not found.

Earlier in the day, Soren lodged an FIR against ED personnel over searches conducted by the agency at his Delhi residence on Monday. Soren in the FIR alleged that the ED searched to "harass and malign him and his entire community". Soren, who is also the executive president of the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), was previously questioned on January 20 in connection with the case.

Also Read: FASTag KYC Last Date Extended By One Month; Here's How To Do It

Who Is Champai Soren?

Jharkhand Transport Minister Champai Soren was on Wednesday unanimously elected as the JMM legislative party leader by the ruling alliance in the state. The ruling alliance proposed the senior Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader's name as the new chief minister.

Champai Soren, who played a crucial role in the movement for the creation of a separate state of Jharkhand, was chosen after incumbent Hemant Soren stepped down amid speculations of his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate.

Also Read: 'There Will Be An Alliance In UP': Akhilesh Yadav Allays Congress' Concerns Over Seat-Sharing

Soren has been a legislator from Serikela assembly constituency for more than three decades since 1991 and is known to be a loyalist of JMM supremo Shibu Soren. Born in November 1956 at Jilinggora village in Jharkhand's Seraikela-Kharsawan district, Soren is a matriculate and father of seven children. He is the son of a farmer and is not related to the Hemant Soren family.

Also In News