JMM chapter closed, Champai Soren sets eye on organising people, new friends
Champai was Jharkhand chief minister from February 2, days after his predecessor and JMM acting president Hemant Soren was imprisoned, till July 3. He made way after Hemant was released from jail.
Former Jharkhand chief minister and state cabinet minister Champai Soren on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of a reconciliation with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and indicated that he may float his own political party before the upcoming assembly elections, days after he travelled to Delhi amid rumours that he would join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Champai was Jharkhand chief minister from February 2, days after his predecessor and JMM acting president Hemant Soren was imprisoned, till July 3. He made way after Hemant was released from jail.
“The JMM chapter in my life is now closed. There’s no way to return to the party, which I nurtured with my blood and sweat for the past 45 years,” he told HT at his ancestral village Jilinggora.
“I had announced on July 3, the day I was made to resign, that I will now start a new chapter in my political journey. I posted my pain, agony and overwhelming emotions on my social media forums like X and Facebook,” Champai said, referring to a post he made on Sunday, in which he said he will start “a new chapter” after being “humiliated” and “insulted” during his time at the helm of the eastern state.
“I don’t want to repeat it. I will now set out on the tour of Jharkhand, building the organisation and exploring new like-minded political friends,” he said on Wednesday.
Champai travelled to Delhi on Sunday, after visiting Jamshedpur on Saturday. However, Champai insisted that he did not meet BJP leaders in Delhi.
“I didn’t meet any BJP leader there or in Kolkata,” asserted Champai. When asked about speculation that he would join BJP and its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partner Hindustani Awami Party (HAM) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi welcoming him into the fold, Champai said, “I thank and wish all my well-wishers the best.”
There was no immediate reaction from the JMM.
Read more: Jharkhand Ex-CM Champai Soren says 'all 3 options open' amid buzz over BJP
In his post on Sunday, Champai said the alleged humiliation left him with three options – “first, to retire from politics, second, to form my own separate organisation and third, if I find a companion on this path, then to travel further with him.”
In the 81-member state assembly, the JMM-led grand alliance has 45 MLAs and the BJP-led opposition has 30 legislators. Rest six MLAs are of smaller parties or independents. The assembly election in Jharkhand is due this November with that of Maharashtra.
