Amid buzz over him joining the BJP, former Jharkhand Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Champai Soren has expressed his pain over the way he was treated by his own party and said that "he was devastated as his self-respect was harmed" when he was asked to resign from his post after Chief Minister Hemant Soren was released on bail. Soren said that he was "insulted" during his tenure, adding that till the upcoming Jharkhand Assembly polls, "all options are open for him".

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He also detailed several instances where he was not permitted to call a legislative party meeting and was abruptly asked to resign, prompting him "to look for an alternative path." In a long post on X, Soren reflected on his political journey, from advocating for workers against industrial houses early in his career to his involvement in the Jharkhand movement, emphasising his commitment to public concerns.

"I have been trying to get the rights of the tribals, natives, poor, labourers, students and people of backward classes of the state. Whether I held any post or not, I was always available to the public, raising the issues of those people who had dreamt of a better future with the state of Jharkhand," he wrote on X.

Soren claimed that following the Hul Diwas celebrations on June 30, he was informed by the JMM leadership that all his events for the next two days had been postponed. "One of these, was a public program in Dumka, while the other was to distribute appointment letters to PGT teachers. On asking, I came to know that a meeting of the legislative party has been called by the coalition on July 3, till then you cannot attend any program as CM," JMM leader added.

"Can there be anything more humiliating in a democracy than a Chief Minister's programmes being cancelled by another person?" he listed out the bitter experiences he faced during his tenure.

"For the first time in my spotless political journey of the last four decades, I was broken from within. I could not understand what to do. For two days, I sat quietly and introspected, kept searching for my mistake in the whole incident. I did not have the greed for power even a bit, but to whom could I show this blow to my self-respect? Where could I express the pain inflicted by my own people? he asked.

Blow To Self-Respect

Soren claimed that he was asked to resign during the legislative party meeting. "I was surprised, but I had no greed for power, so I immediately resigned, but my heart was emotional due to the blow to my self-respect," former CM said.

"I was so emotional due to the insulting behaviour I was facing for the last three days that I was trying to control my tears, but they were only interested in the chair. I felt as if I had no existence in that party, no existence at all, for which I had dedicated my entire life. In the meantime, many such insulting incidents happened, which I do not want to mention right now. After so much insult and contempt, I was forced to look for an alternative path," he added.

New Beginning

"With a heavy heart, I said in the same meeting of the legislative party that - "A new chapter of my life is going to start from today." I had three options in this. First, to retire from politics, second, to form my own separate organization and third, if I find a companion on this path, then to travel further with him. From that day till today, and till the upcoming Jharkhand Assembly elections, all options are open for me in this journey," he concluded.