Picking Champai Soren A 'Masterstroke' By JMM, Here's How

Ranchi: As Hemant Soren stepped down from the Jharkhand’s top post, speculations were rife that his wife Kalpana Soren would take over as the next chief minister of the state. However, the JMM-led coalition under Hemant Soren’s leadership picked veteran leader Champai Soren, not linked to the Soren family. After much high-voltage drama, Champai Soren was sworn in as the chief minister of Jharkhand on Friday, February 2. But the question remains what factors prompted the selection of Champai Soren? 

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Champai Soren was administered the oath by Governor CP Radhakrishnan as the chief minister of Jharkhand, along with senior Congress leader Alamgir Alam and RJD leader Satyanand Bhokta as ministers. Champai Soren was elected as the legislative party leader of the JMM-led coalition which comprises Congress and the RJD after former CM Hemant Soren tendered his resignation followed by his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land fraud. 

Why did Hemant Soren pick Champai Soren? 

The major factor remains loyalty. Chamai Soren, popularly known as ‘Tiger’ in the political landscape of Jharkhand has been one of the founding members of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha along with Hemant Soren’s father Shibu Soren. 

Shibu Soren’s ‘Yes Man ' is the third chief minister of Jharkhand from the Kolhan region. Jharkhand’s Kolhan region comprises East Singhbhum, West Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan districts. Before this, Jharkhand got two CMs from the Kolhan region- Arjun Munda and Raghubar Das- both from the BJP. 

Kolhan region is often dubbed as the stronghold of the BJP, however, the hold seems to be loosening after the last assembly election. Major blow to BJP came with the name of Saryu Roy who defeated sitting CM Raghubar Das. In the last assembly election, former BJP leader Saryu Roy fought independently against Raghubar Das and his candidature was supported by Hemant Soren. Soren claimed that Roy had his own identity through his fights against corruption. 

Clubbed with tribal solidarity, the JMM may be eyeing consolidation in the Kolhan region by elevating a leader from the region in the election year. 

JMM roots out Parivarvaad 

Through picking Champai Soren, JMM has also sought a departure from the usual script of family-run parties. The Soren family has several strong personalities including Sita Soren, wife of Hemant Soren’s elder brother Durga Soren, and younger kid of Shibu Soren Basant Soren- both of whom are sitting MLAs from the ruling alliance-  may have challenged Kalpana Soren’s elevation. However, by picking Champai Soren, Hemant Soren has been successful in keeping his family feud out of sight. 

However, the major task for Champai Soren is to prove majority on the floor of the house on February 5. Further, Champai Soren also has the responsibility to lead the party in the election year, with BJP growing strong in the state. In the previous election too, Opposition NDA under BJP’s leadership had double the vote share- 33 per cent- of JMM, with less seats than JMM. 

Who is Champai Soren? 

Hailed as the ‘Tiger of Kolhan’, Champai Soren once tilled fields with his father in a remote village in Jharkhand’s Seraikela-Kharsawan district. He gained prominence during the Jharkhand movement in the 1990s. There has been a long-drawn andolan for creation of Jharkhand as a separate state. 

A matriculate from a government school, Champai Soren’s political career began in 1991 after he got elected as an independent MLA through a by-election from the Saraikela seat in undivided Bihar. 

Four years later, he contested the assembly polls from the seat on JMM ticket and defeated the BJP's Panchu Tudu. In the 2000 assembly elections, the first one held in the state, he was defeated from the same constituency by the BJP's Anant Ram Tudu. He regained the seat in 2005 by defeating the BJP candidate by a margin of only 880 votes.

Champai Soren won the subsequent elections in 2009, 2014 and 2019. He served as a cabinet minister in the BJP government headed by Arjun Munda between September 2010 to January 2013.

When Hemant Soren formed his second government in the state in 2019, Champai Soren became the Minister of Food and Civil Supplies and Transport. Champai Soren got married at a young age and has four sons and three daughters.