Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren was inducted into the BJP during an event in Ranchi on August 30. (Photo: BJP Jharkhand)
Former Chief Minister of Jharkhand Champai Soren He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday, a few days after quitting the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).
Champai joined the saffron camp during a ceremony in Ranchi in the presence of Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Champai, 67, led the JMM-led government in Jharkhand during a political crisis that arose in the wake of Hemant Soren’s arrest in a money laundering case earlier this year. His tenure as Chief Minister was brief, from February 2 to July 3. He resigned when Hemant Soren returned as Chief Minister on July 4.
He had expressed disappointment over his forced resignation from the post of Chief Minister, which he called a “bitter humiliation”.
“During the (legislative party) meeting on July 3, I was asked to resign… Since I had no desire for power, I resigned immediately. However, my self-esteem was deeply hurt,” Champai had posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Considered a loyalist of JMM patriarch Shibu Soren, Champai said he was forced to leave the party due to the current style of functioning of the state government and its policies.
Champai to play key role in BJP
Known as the “Tiger of Jharkhand” for his contribution to the struggle for creation of a separate state in the 1990s, Champai is now expected to play a key role in bringing the BJP closer to the tribal communities. These communities, which constitute about 26 per cent of the electorate, had earlier rejected the saffron party’s ticket in the 2019 elections.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP failed to win any of the five seats reserved for scheduled tribes. Moreover, in the 2019 Assembly elections, the party won only two of the 28 seats reserved for scheduled tribes in the state.
Before becoming Chief Minister, Champai served as the state’s Transport Minister in the Hemant-led government. His political journey began in 1991, when he was elected as an independent MP from Saraikela district.
Elections for the 81-member Assembly are due to be held later this year.
First published: August 30, 2024 | 16:51 IS
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