All options open: Jharkhand ex-CM hints at joining BJP

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 18

Veteran Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader and former Chief Minister Champai Soren on Sunday hinted at joining the BJP. Champai said he had been forced to scout for alternative political paths due to the “humiliation and ignominy his parent party heaped on him”.

Hours after arriving in Delhi with some other JMM leaders, Champai, known as the ‘Tiger of Kolhan’, went public to say that he had been repeatedly humiliated during his time as CM.

Champai made a specific mention of how all his public programmes were cancelled on July 3 without his knowledge and a meeting of the legislative party was called to seek his resignation.

“There is nothing more insulting in a democracy than the cancellation of a sitting CM’s scheduled public events by a third person (read Hemant Soren)... After that, a legislative party meeting was called on July 3. Only the CM can call the meeting, but I was not even informed about the agenda. At the meeting, I was asked to resign. I was surprised, but I resigned....However, I was forced to look for options due to this continuous public humiliation,” said Champai who made way for Hemant to take over as the CM after the latter returned from jail where he was incarcerated in the alleged land scam.

Faced humiliation

Forced to find alternative paths after facing humiliation and ignominy in the JMM. —Champai Soren, Jharkhand ex-CM

Champai revealed he had in the July 3 INDIA bloc MLAs’ meeting revealed that he had only three options left now — retiring from politics, forming his own party or finding a new political companion.

“All options are now open before me,” said the ex-CM who is said to be in touch with top BJP leaders, including Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who is the party’s in-charge for the Jharkhand Assembly elections.

Champai had on Saturday met BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, in Kolkata and discussed the way forward.

Ghulam Ahmed Mir, Jammu and Kashmir in-charge of the Congress, said the party was watching the situation closely and was aware that Champai went from Ranchi to Kolkata and then to Delhi.

“There is a lot of movement on the front of Champai Soren. Obviously something is coming,” Mir said.

Dramatic developments in January had catapulted Champai to the CM’s post. This happened after then CM Hemant resigned in the wake of his arrest.

“When Hemant returned, Champai should have been allowed to continue as CM. Elections were anyway due and leadership change could have happened after the elections. Asking a tribal stalwart to step down was very bad optics,” a senior JMM leader said today.

Along with Champai, JMM MLA Lobin Hembrom, recently disqualified as a legislator under the anti-defection law, is also said to be in touch with the BJP. JMM MLA Chamra Linda is also learnt to be in the Capital.

The BJP is keen on inducting Champai as the move would boost Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s anti-dynasty narrative against the Congress-led INDIA parties.

“Champai was made to resign to accommodate a dynast,” a BJP leader said.

Champai is likely to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the Capital soon. Champai’s BJP foray could spell trouble for the ruling INDIA bloc alliance in the state ahead of the Assembly elections this year.