Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren Joins BJP
Champai Soren, the former Chief Minister of Jharkhand, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on August 30, 2023, ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. This move comes after Soren's resignation from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on August 28, 2023.
Soren, along with a large number of his supporters, switched to the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Ranchi. He cited the state government's "present style of functioning and policies" as the reason for leaving the party he served for many years.
Soren had become the Chief Minister of Jharkhand on February 2, 2023, after Hemant Soren resigned from the top post following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case. However, Champai Soren resigned from the post on July 3, 2023, paving the way for Hemant Soren to return as Chief Minister on July 4, 2023, after being released on bail.
Reports suggest that Champai Soren was unhappy with the way he was removed from the Chief Minister's post to make way for Hemant Soren's return. He reportedly felt "insulted" by the manner of his removal.
Meanwhile, JMM legislator Ramdas Soren was sworn in as a minister in the Hemant Soren government on August 30, 2023. He replaced Champai Soren in the state cabinet. The oath of office and secrecy was administered by Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar at a function in Raj Bhavan.