Hemant Soren took the oath as Chief Minister of Jharkhand on Thursday, concluding a five-month saga that began in January. In January, he resigned just before his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate, which had accused him of involvement in a multimillion-rupee land fraud. By June, he secured bail from the High Court, which found no evidence of his “direct involvement” in the alleged scam.
There was never any doubt that Hemant Soren, the leader of the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, would reclaim the state’s top position. His resignation came during a late-night episode, dubbed “the case of the missing Chief Minister,” and was aimed at avoiding the disgrace of becoming the first sitting state head to be arrested.
Senior JMM leader Champai Soren, who was brought in to replace Hemant Soren, will step down, despite his visible dissatisfaction. During a meeting of the JMM’s legislature party, Champai Soren, who might hold the title of Executive President, expressed that he felt “insulted.”
Jharkhand Governor C P Radhakrishnan has invited Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) executive president Hemant Soren to form the state government, following the resignation of his predecessor, Champai Soren, as Chief Minister.
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Champai Soren submitted his resignation to the Governor on Wednesday after the ruling coalition’s 45 MLAs elected Hemant as their leader. Hemant Soren was released from jail on June 28, after the Jharkhand High Court granted him bail five months following his arrest on charges of money laundering related to a land plot in Ranchi. The court cited “reasons to believe that he was not guilty of the offence.”
Earlier, thetheorist.in had reported that former Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren is not happy to relinquish his post. Champai Soren had assumed the post after Hemant Soren was arrested by the ED in the alleged land scam case.
Also Read: 5 months after ED arrest, Hemant Soren walks out of jail hours after Jharkhand HC grants bail
He asserted his status as a “mass leader” and expressed concerns about potential attempts to destabilize Hemant’s government, given that Hemant is only out on bail.
Addressing a rally after his release, Hemant Soren stated that state elections might be held sooner than anticipated and that he was prepared to face them at any time. “Due to the situation in the country today, the INDIA bloc has decided to launch a revolution. We have vowed to uproot these feudal people (BJP) from the state and the country,” he declared.
