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Shibu Soren Death: Shibu Soren, Rajya Sabha MP, former Union Minister, Jharkhand Chief Minister, and one of the founders of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha passed away at the age of 81, his son and chief minister Hemant Soren announced on Monday. Soren had been undergoing treatment for over a month at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi due to kidney-related complications. His condition had deteriorated in recent days.

As per Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi, Shibu Soren was declared dead at 8:56 am on Monday. He was suffering from a kidney ailment and had suffered a stroke a month and a half back. He was on the life support system for the last month.

Born in the village of Nea in what is now Hazaribagh district, Soren hailed from a humble background. He was the son of Shobaran Soren and belonged to the Santhal tribal community. He was a prominent tribal leader, serving in both state and central governments across an expansive career spanning more than four decades.

Political Career

Over a four-decade career in politics, former CM Shibu Soren was elected to the Lok Sabha eight times and served as a Rajya Sabha MP for two terms, the second ongoing. Shibu Soren’s political journey was deeply rooted in grassroots activism. In 1972, alongside AK Roy, a leftist trade unionist, and Binod Bihari Mahato, a leader from the Kurmi Mahato community, he co-founded the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). Their joint efforts eventually culminated in the formation of Jharkhand as a separate state in 2000, with Soren as one of its most prominent leaders.

In 1998 and 2002, he also held seats in the Upper House, underlining his enduring influence in both state and national politics.

Soren served as Jharkhand's Chief Minister on three occasions: briefly in March 2005, from August 2008 to January 2009, and again from December 2009 to May 2010. All three stints were cut short due to political instability and coalition dynamics, but his leadership left a lasting impact on the state's identity and politics.

His Lok Sabha debut came in 1980 when he was elected from Dumka, a seat he successfully defended multiple times. However, in the 2019 general elections, he lost the constituency to BJP’s Nalin Soren by over 45,000 votes, a rare defeat in his decades-long political journey.

In addition to his roles in the state, Soren was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1998, 2002, and again in 2020, further cementing his legacy as one of Jharkhand’s influential political leaders, as per the profile.

Since October 2024, he had been serving as a member of the Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

Soren served as a Union Minister and a three-time Chief Minister but could not complete any of the terms. He became Jharkhand Chief Minister for the first time in 2005 but had to resign just nine days later after he failed to clear the floor test in the Assembly. Two more terms in the top post followed, but both lasted merely a few months due to the coalition government in the state.

Personal Life & Education

Belonging to the Santhal community, Shibu Soren was born in the Ramgarh district, which was then part of Bihar. He tied up with Leftist trade union leader AK Roy and Kurmi Mahato leader Binod Bihari Mahato to form the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha in 1972. Soren went on to become a prime face of the statehood movement, which led to the formation of Jharkhand in 2000.

Soren completed his matriculation from Gola High School in Hazaribagh and rose from a modest background to become a prominent tribal leader and a central figure in Jharkhand's political circles.

He married Roopi Soren on January 1, 1962. The couple had four children: three sons and a daughter. His son, Hemant Soren, is currently serving as Jharkhand’s chief minister and continues to be a leading figure in the JMM.

Legal Battles: Got Arrested In 1974, Acquitted In Murder Case

Soren’s public life wasn’t without controversy. In 2004, while serving as Union Coal Minister under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, an arrest warrant was issued against him in connection with the 1974 Chirudih case, an incident involving violent clashes between tribal and Muslim communities. Following the warrant, he resigned but was later granted bail and returned to the Cabinet. However, he stepped down again to take over as Chief Minister of Jharkhand.

His time in the Union Cabinet faced further turbulence in 2006 when he was convicted in the high-profile murder case of his former secretary, Shashinath Jha. It marked the first time a sitting Union Minister was found guilty in a murder case. He resigned once more and later fought a legal battle that ended with his acquittal by the Delhi High Court.

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Condolences Pour In

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Hemant Soren expressed his grief by sharing the news to the world. "Beloved Dishom Guruji has left us. I lost everything today," Soren stated in his post. Apart from this, several prominent politicians, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi also reacted to Soren's death.

"Shri Shibu Soren Ji was a grassroots leader who rose through the ranks of public life with unwavering dedication to the people. He was particularly passionate about empowering tribal communities, the poor and downtrodden. Pained by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and admirers. Spoke to Jharkhand CM Shri Hemant Soren Ji and expressed condolences. Om Shanti," PM Modi stated in his post on X.

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said "I have messaged Kalpana ji (Kalpana Soren). This is very sad news for all of us. We express our condolences to the family, our prayers are with them."

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"Shibu Soren has passed away. He was a great leader of Dalits and tribals, and I had good relations with him. I feel sad. May his soul rest in peace... It is a great loss for politics," Lalu Prasad Yadav told the media.

"I am saddened by the passing of Jharkhand's former Chief Minister, former Union Minister, and founder of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Shibu Soren ji. He dedicated his life to the struggle for a separate Jharkhand state and the rights of its people over water, forest, and land, as well as the preservation of tribal culture. I spoke with his son and Jharkhand's Chief Minister @HemantSorenJMM ji, expressing my deep condolences to his family and supporters. In this hour of grief, may God grant them strength," Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge wrote on X.

“We always think of Shibu Soren. Coming from a tribal state, that person joined national politics. For the people of Jharkhand, he was no less than a god. Shibu Soren is a member of the Rajya Sabha, and his seat is right next to mine... I always asked his party MPs about his health. Two days ago, I was told he was not doing well, and today he has passed away. Uddhav Thackeray and the entire family pay tributes to him. He gave his life for the welfare of the tribal population of his state,” Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said, as quoted by ANI.