Champai Soren meets Amit Shah in Delhi
Himanta Biswa Sarma, in a late night post on X, announced that former Jharkhand chief minister and veteran Jharkhand Muslim Madhya Pradesh leader Champai Soren will join the BJP on Friday and hailed Soren as “an outstanding Adivasi leader of the country”.
The 67-year-old leader, who had to step down as chief minister last week following his release from prison to make way for Hemant Soren, accused the party leadership of insulting him and announced that he would soon decide on his next political course.
Days after his resignation, Soren said he would have been able to do more for the development of the state if he had had more time.
The veteran leader, also known as the ‘Tiger of Jharkhand’ among party workers for his immense contribution to the struggle for the creation of Jharkhand statehood in the 1990s, asserted that he has no plans to quit politics and the option of setting up a new political outfit is always open to him.
“I’m here,” Soren declared two weeks ago amid much publicity surrounding his own major personnel changes, the same week he arrived in Delhi on what he claimed was personal business.
But the rumours did not die down.The BJP too played dumb, calling him a “senior leader” and someone who “has served as a good Chief Minister of Jharkhand”.
“We want Champai Soren to join the BJP and strengthen our strength,” Sarma, the BJP’s election commissioner for Jharkhand state, which will go to elections later this year, said early today.
The deal was sealed a few hours later, after Sarma posted a picture of Champai Soren meeting Amit Shah and announced the induction date for the new members.
“Former Jharkhand Chief Minister and prominent Adivasi leader of our country, Champai Soren, met Union Home Minister Amit Shah earlier today. He will formally join BJP4India in Ranchi on August 30,” Sarma posted.
Former Chief Minister of Jharkhand and prominent Adivasi leader of our country, @ChampaiSoren Ji, met Union Home Minister @AmitShah Ji a while ago. He will formally join @BJP4India in Ranchi on August 30. pic.twitter.com/OOAhpgrvmu
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) August 26, 2024
Champai Soren was sworn in as the 12th Chief Minister of Jharkhand on February 2 this year. He subsequently resigned from the post of Chief Minister on July 3, a day before JMM Executive Director Hemant Soren was sworn in as the 13th Chief Minister of Jharkhand on July 4.
