Ranchi. Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren on Wednesday resigned from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and said that he was forced to take this step due to his frustration with the party’s current working style and policies. Champai Soren is going to join the Bharatiya Janata Party on August 30. He has also resigned from the post of Member of State Assembly and Minister of Jharkhand.
Champai Soren said, “Today I have resigned from the primary membership and all the posts of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha. I will continue to fight for the issues of tribals, Dalits, backward and common people of Jharkhand.” In a letter to party chief Shibu Soren, the senior tribal leader said that he was forced to leave the post due to being distressed by the current working style of JMM.
According to sources close to him, Champai Soren wrote a letter to the Speaker of the Assembly and informed him about his resignation from the Assembly. He also resigned from the post of minister and sent another letter informing about this to Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
Champai Soren resigned from JMM, said, I will continue to fight for the interests of the tribals
Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren resigned from Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Wednesday, saying that he was forced to take this step due to his distress with the party’s current working style and policies. Soren is soon going to join the Bharatiya Janata Party. He said that his struggle for the interests of tribals, Dalits and backward classes will continue.
Soren said, “Today I have resigned from the primary membership and all the posts of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha. My struggle will continue on the issues of tribals, Dalits, backward and common people of Jharkhand.” In a letter to party chief Shibu Soren, the senior tribal leader said that he was forced to leave the post due to “distress from the current working style and policies” of JMM.
I have decided to join BJP in the interest of Jharkhand, I will leave JMM: Champai Soren
Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren said on Wednesday that he has decided to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the interest of Jharkhand and he will resign from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the ministerial post. Senior tribal minister Champai Soren said that he is not afraid of any situation. He met Union Home Minister and former BJP President Amit Shah in New Delhi earlier this week and announced joining the BJP.
He reached Ranchi with his son on Wednesday, where he was welcomed by a large number of his supporters. Champai Soren said here, “My decision (to join BJP) is in the interest of Jharkhand… I am used to struggles.” When asked about the allegation that he is being monitored, the former Chief Minister said that he is not afraid of any situation. He indicated that he would resign from JMM and the ministerial post on Wednesday itself.
Earlier in the day, senior BJP leader and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had alleged that Champai Soren was being spied upon by the police of ‘his own government’ for the last five months. Sharma had claimed that people close to Champai Soren had caught two sub-inspectors (SIs) of the special branch of Jharkhand Police keeping an eye on the former chief minister in a hotel in Delhi. Champai Soren said that he is not afraid of any conspiracy against him.
He also said that he does not consider it appropriate to respond to the allegation that he was implicated in ‘Operation Lotus’. ‘Operation Lotus’ is a term used for (BJP’s alleged) attempt to topple state governments ruled by non-BJP parties. Champai Soren’s son Babulal Soren said that JMM failed to give him respect and now BJP has embraced him in a dignified manner.
Meanwhile, state BJP president Babulal Marandi demanded a probe by a High Court judge into the ‘surveillance’ of Champai Soren. Marandi said in a press conference here, “Two officers of the Special Branch were arrested in Delhi and are accused of trying to trap Champai Soren in a ‘honeytrap’. This is a serious matter.” Former Chief Minister Marandi said that this is the misuse of police machinery to suppress the voice of those who raise their voice against the Hemant Soren government. He demanded immediate suspension of the officers involved in this act.
Champai Soren was sworn in as the 12th Chief Minister of Jharkhand on February 2. Earlier, his predecessor Hemant Soren had resigned from the post of Chief Minister before being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case. After Hemant Soren was released on bail in July, Champai Soren resigned from the post of Chief Minister and Hemant was sworn in as Chief Minister again.
Champai Soren had said on Tuesday that he was joining the BJP to save the tribal identity and existence. He had said that due to ‘large scale’ infiltration from Bangladesh, the tribal identity and existence is at stake in the Santhal Pargana region of the state.
Champai Soren said that only BJP seems serious about the issues of tribals, while other parties are involved in vote bank politics. He had earlier said that he felt ‘extremely insulted’ as the Chief Minister, which forced him to choose an alternative path. He had alleged that in the first week of July, the party leadership suddenly cancelled all his government programs without informing him. The JMM leader had said that he had three options left – leave politics, form a party or join hands with a like-minded organization.
He had said, “The people of Kolhan region supported me at every step and they rejected the option of retirement. There was no platform in the party where I could express my pain and leaders senior to me are away from politics due to health reasons.” He was referring to JMM supremo Shibu Soren, under whose leadership he had participated in the movement for a separate Jharkhand.