Amid rife speculations about him joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), former Jharkhand Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Champai Soren on Sunday said he was “hurt” by his countrymen over his plans being called off three days before a meeting where he had been asked to resign as Chief Minister.
In a Hindi post on X, he said that for the first time in his 40 years of political career, he felt “broken from within”.
In his post, Champai Soren said he learnt that programmes for the next two days have been cancelled by the party leadership on Full Diwas, June 30. He said he learnt that a meeting of state legislators and India Block leaders has been convened on July 3 and they have been told not to attend any programmes.
“What could be more humiliating in a democracy than a prime minister’s plans being thwarted by someone else?” he said.
The 67-year-old JMM leader was appointed as the Chief Minister after Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a land scam case on January 31. He resigned as Chief Minister on July 3 after Hemant Soren was released on bail by the Jharkhand High Court.
“I was broken inside. I didn’t know what to do. For two days I sat quietly, introspected and searched for my fault in this entire incident. I had no lust for power whatsoever. But to whom should I show this hurt to my self-esteem? Where should I express the pain caused to my own people,” Champhai Soren added in the post.
He said he had three options after being fired as prime minister.
““First, to retire from politics; second, to set up my own separate organisation; and third, to travel further with any allies I may find on this path,” he said.
Champai Soren hinted at the possibility of joining another party ahead of the Jharkhand Assembly elections.
“From that day to today and even the upcoming Jharkhand Assembly elections, all options are open to me in this journey,” he added.
He further said he was not aware of the agenda of the meeting of state legislators and other Indian Union leaders to be held after the Prime Minister’s release from prison.
“The chief minister has the right to convene a meeting of the state legislature but I was not even informed of the agenda for the meeting. I was asked to resign during the meeting. I was surprised but I had no desire for power so I immediately resigned but it hurt my ego,” said Champhai Soren.
He went on to say he felt like the party he had dedicated his whole life to “was no longer worthy of existence” and that there had been several other “degrading incidents” he did not want to mention.
“After receiving so much insult and disrespect, I was forced to find another path,” he said in the post.
