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 significant number of his supporters, switched allegiance to the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. He cited the state government's "present style of functioning and policies" as the reason for his departure from the JMM, a party he had been associated with for many years.
Soren had become the Chief Minister of Jharkhand on February 2, 2023, following the resignation of Hemant Soren, who was arrested 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's return as Chief Minister on July 4, 2023, after being released on bail.
Reports suggest that Champai Soren was unhappy with the manner in which he was removed from the Chief Minister's post to facilitate Hemant Soren's return. He reportedly felt "insulted" by the way he was sidelined.
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 in the presence of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, senior leaders of the JMM-led alliance, and government officials. Ramdas Soren's induction into the cabinet followed Champai Soren's resignation as a minister and MLA.