RANCHI – In a significant political development, senior Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Champai Soren took oath as the 11th Chief Minister of Jharkhand on February 2, 2024. The oath was administered by Governor C P Radhakrishnan at the Raj Bhavan in Ranchi.
This comes just a day after the shocking resignation and subsequent arrest of former Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who stepped down following mounting pressure from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This happened amid an ongoing high-profile probe by the Enforcement Directorate into a mining lease case involving Soren.
With Soren’s resignation, the JMM-Congress-RJD coalition government lost its majority in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly. Champai Soren has now been handed over the difficult task of providing stable governance in the crisis-hit state and keeping the disrupted alliance together.
Champai Soren: A Six-Time MLA From Seraikela
The 57-year-old Champai Soren is a prominent tribal leader and a six-term MLA from the Seraikela constituency in Seraikela Kharsawan district. Popularly known as the “Kolhan Tiger” for his fiery oratory and organizational skills, he has slowly and steadily risen up the ranks in the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) founded by his political mentor Shibu Soren.
Soren started his political career as a student leader in the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) in the early 1980s during the peak of the Jharkhand movement. He later shifted allegiance to the JMM and was jailed on several occasions for leading protests seeking a separate state for tribals.
His moment in the sun came in 2005 when he was elected MLA from Seraikela on a JMM ticket. Since then, he has grown in stature within the party and the state. Before taking oath as CM, Champai Soren has served as Cabinet Minister for Transport, Scheduled Tribes, and Scheduled Caste & Backward Class Welfare in the Hemant Soren government.
Champai’s Background and Fiery Orator
Hailing from the nondescript village of Jilinggoda in Kharsawan district, Champai Soren has had a modest upbringing. His father Simal Soren was a farmer who found it difficult to make ends meet. Due to poverty, Champai had to discontinue his studies after completing his matriculation from a government school in his native village.
However, the folk tales of Birsa Munda he grew up listening to and the rising consciousness among the tribal communities in the 1970s deeply impacted Soren. Despite his limited education, he developed excellent oratory skills and the ability to organize grassroot movements.
Before entering electoral politics, Soren cut his political teeth by leading movements of displaced tribals during the construction of the Subarnarekha dam. He also spearheaded labor unions fighting for employee rights in industrial areas like Jamshedpur and Adityapur. His fiery speeches and mass appeal earned him the moniker “Kolhan Tiger”.
Upholding Tribal Legacy
After taking oath as the new CM, Champai Soren stated that his priority will be to provide stable governance amidst the political turmoil left behind by Hemant Soren’s exit. “I pledge to uphold the legacy of Birsa Munda and continue the fight for protecting our jal, jungle, jameen (water, forest, land),” he affirmed.
Political analysts note that like his mentor Shibu Soren, the new CM is expected to aggressively push long-standing tribal demands like rights over land & forests as well as reservations in government jobs and educational institutes.
Coalition Govt Faces Survival Challenge
After Hemant Soren’s resignation, the government has been reduced to a minority in the Jharkhand Assembly.
As per the statement issued by the Raj Bhavan, the new Chief Minister has been given 10 days to prove his majority on the floor of the House.
The BJP, which has emerged as the single-largest party with 26 MLAs, will be looking to topple the government by poaching disgruntled legislators from the alliance. All eyes are now on the new Chief Minister as he steers the mineral-rich state out of this political turmoil.
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