Champai Soren meets Amit Shah, to join BJP on August 30
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 27
In a major setback to the INDIA bloc ahead of the Jharkhand Assembly elections, former CM and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) veteran Champai Soren is all set to join the BJP on August 30.
Champai met Union Home Minister Amit Shah here on Monday and is likely to join the BJP with some more sitting JMM MLAs. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, credited with the BJP's expansion in the North-East, accompanied Champai to Shah's residence today.
Sarma later tweeted "Former Chief Minister of Jharkhand and a distinguished Adivasi leader of our country Champai Soren met Home Minister Amit Shah a short while ago. He will officially join the BJP on August 30 in Ranchi."
Champai had recently gone public attacking CM Hemant Soren for humiliating him by literally ousting him from the Jharkhand CMO.
Champai had said an MLA meeting was called on July 3 without informing him even though he was a sitting CM. In the meeting, he was asked to resign in favour of Hemant Soren who had returned from jail where he was in an alleged land scam.
Champai had then hinted at BJP forays saying he was open to new political alternatives and friends and had had "enough of humiliation and ignominy." The Tribune had reported Champai's signals of BJP entry the day he publicly attacked JMM.
The Congress for its part was anticipating Champai's defection and the JMM has been saying it won't make any difference to INDIA alliance in the upcoming polls.
