Champai Soren former CM Jharkhand joins BJP ahead of assembly elections
Champai Soren former CM Jharkhand joins BJP ahead of assembly elections
Ahead of the assembly elections, Champai Soren former Chief Minister of Jharkhand joined the BJP on Friday. This came two days followig his resignation from the JMM citing dissatisfaction with the party’s current style of functioning and “bitter humiliation”. Soren, alongside a large number of his supporters, crossed over to the saffron party at a ceremony attended by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma here. The veteran politician turned emotional after he was welcomed into the saffron fold.
After joining the saffron camp, he said, that he was put under surveillance by the Jharkhand government in Delhi and Kolkata, and hence his resolve to join BJP strengthened. He also said the BJP can save the tribals’ identity and check infiltration in Jharkhand’s Santhal Pargana. Alleging that the tribal identity was put “at stake” by the Congress, Champai Soren said, that he is committed to delivering justice to the people.
He went on to add that he nurtured JMM with his sweat and blood but was humiliated and insulted and feels proud to be a member of the world’s largest political party. The joining of the 67-year-old leader to the BJP is seen as a significant boost for the party’s efforts to strengthen its connection with the Scheduled Tribes, a strong support base of the JMM. He was a close aide of JMM supremo Shibu Soren.
Champai Soren, acknowledged as ‘Jharkhand’s Tiger’ for his pivotal role in the fight for statehood, was appointed as chief minister on February 2, following Hemant Soren’s resignation and subsequent arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case. He left the post on July 3, clearing the way for Hemant Soren to resume office on July 4 after being granted bail.
In a letter to party supremo Shibu Soren on Wednesday, Champai said he was compelled to quit after being “aggrieved by the present style of functioning. Earlier he had met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi to announce his decision to join the BJP.
Champai had also asserted that he would be switching sides to save tribal identity and existence, which is “at stake in the state’s Santhal Pargana due to “rampant” infiltration from Bangladesh”.
He claimed that these intruders are causing economic and social harm to the local people, and if they are not stopped, the existence of “our society in Santhal Pargana will be in danger. In many areas, including Pakur and Rajmahal, the number of infiltrators has become more than that of tribals.
News Edit K.V.Raman
