Former Jharkhand Chief Minister and senior Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Champai Soren is reportedly on his way to Delhi, amid rumors of a possible defection to the BJP ahead of this year’s Jharkhand assembly elections. Sources suggest that Soren, who met with BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari in Kolkata yesterday, is traveling to the capital with four other JMM leaders, sparking significant political activity.
Despite the speculation, Soren has publicly denied any plans to switch parties, stating, “I don’t know anything about such speculations and reports… I am where I am.” Soren briefly served as Jharkhand’s 12th Chief Minister earlier this year, following the arrest of Hemant Soren by the Enforcement Directorate in a high-profile money laundering case. However, he resigned in July, allowing Hemant Soren to return as the state’s leader.
Soren’s visit to Delhi has fueled further speculation, especially given his planned meetings with BJP leaders. This development follows his recent meeting with former JMM legislator Lobin Hembrom, who is also rumored to be in contact with the BJP. Soren, however, downplayed this interaction, calling it a routine discussion. Hembrom was recently disqualified as a JMM MLA under the anti-defection law.
The BJP has recently held discussions with district heads in Jharkhand, with key figures like Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in attendance. When asked about the possibility of Soren joining the BJP, Sarma refrained from making any conclusive statements, saying, “No one is in touch with us yet. I am also hearing these reports from the channels. Champai Soren is a very senior leader; I do not want to make any informal comment about him.”
Former Jharkhand BJP President and Rajya Sabha MP Deepak Prakash echoed similar sentiments, stating that any decision regarding Soren’s inclusion in the party would be made by the central leadership. “I have heard this in reports only. I don’t have any authentic information… He was serving Jharkhand as a good CM… Everything depends on the central leadership,” he said.
