Will Champai Soren form a new party to support BJP ahead of Jharkhand assembly polls?

Political Correspondent

NewsBits.in

RANCHI: There is likelihood that Champai Soren, the short-lived ex-chief minister of Jharkhand will float a new political dispensation and pledge support to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the assembly polls in Jharkhand.

Soren, who is still a minister in Hemant Soren-led Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-Congress alliance government, has openly expressed his displeasure with his party JMM after making way for Hemant Soren as the chief minister in July this year.

Political watchers feel that he has few options left as there are indications that his plans to join the BJP have been scuttled.

That Soren might opt for the way that the former CM of Bihar Jitan Ram Manjhi had taken 10 years ago looked quite probable after he returned to home town Saraikela on August 21 from a tour that took him to Kolkata and New Delhi.

A string of meetings that he reportedly held with BJP leaders in these two cities gave rise of rumours of him being set to join the BJP along with some JMM MLAs. However, sources said, having failed to garner support of fellow MLAs, Soren has started receiving cold shoulder from the BJP.

Political watchers say that the BJP has more to lose by getting Soren to join the party ahead of the assembly polls as it would give the opponents a chance to highlight the discourse that the BJP tries to destabilize elected governments across country 

It would rather suit the saffron party if Soren makes a separate move; thereby harming the prospects of the JMM in the Kolhan division in the ensuing assembly polls. Later, Soren might support the BJP to form government.

Political atmosphere got heated up in Jharkhand past weekend after Champai  wrote a long post on social media on August 18 expressing his unhappiness at being ‘insulted’ by the party in the course of Hemant Soren taking over as CM again after being released from jail.

In this post he showed willingness to join the BJP indirectly. “With a heavy heart, I said in the same meeting of the legislative party that - "A new chapter of my life is going to start from today." I had three options in this: first, to retire from politics, second, to form my own separate organization and third, if I find a companion on this path, then to travel further with him. From that day till today, and till the upcoming Jharkhand Assembly elections, all options are open for me in this journey,” Soren said in the August 18 post on social media platform X.

However, his stance seemed changed when he returned to Saraikela on Wednesday. He posted a video with his supporters with the caption “Thank you Jharkhand for this love, cooperation and support. For the last four and a half decades, I have been fighting for the issues of the common people, and your blessings are encouraging me to take the right decision in this new chapter of my life. I am currently meeting the public. Taking sanyaas (political exile) is not an option now. Based on the opinion of all the people, an appropriate decision will be taken soon.”

(PHOTO COURTESY: Champai Soren X Account)