Editor's Pick | Champai Soren quits as Jharkhand CM to make way for Hemant Soren

Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren resigned on Wednesday, paving the way for his predecessor Hemant Soren to stake claim to form the government and return to the State’s top post after being unanimously elected leader of the ruling alliance’s legislators at a marathon meeting in Ranchi. Mr. Hemant Soren, son of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) supremo Shibu Soren, had resigned as Chief Minister in January shortly before he was taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. He was released on bail on June 28. In an editorial, The Hindu pointed out the bail to Mr. Hemant Soren “exposes the questionable practice of the Enforcement Directorate in slapping money-laundering cases just to arrest political adversaries of the ruling dispensation... Weaponising such provisions against political opponents can have grave consequences for their personal liberty.” Mr. Hemant Soren spent five months in prison; the ED had registered a case under the stringent Prevention of Money Laundering Act against him based on a police case related to forgery and fabrication of documents involving a revenue inspector and his associates. Ending his five-month term, Mr. Champai Soren met Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan at the Raj Bhavan on Wednesday evening and tendered his resignation in the presence of Mr. Hemant Soren, who staked claim soon afterwards. The outgoing CM is said to be “upset” over the development, though he has denied this, and is likely to be given a new responsibility as the chairman of the INDIA bloc coordination committee in the State or as executive president of the JMM, sources said. Mr. Champai Soren, 67, is a six-term MLA from Seraikela, and was the Minister of Transport, Scheduled Caste and Backward Class Welfare in the Hemant Soren Cabinet before being given the top job. “I have resigned on my own,” Mr. Champai later told presspersons. Alliance partners from the Congress, including Ghulam Ahmad Mir, the party’s in-charge for the State, and State Congress chief Rajesh Thakur, were present at the meeting of legislators from the INDIA coalition who reached a consensus on the change of guard. Reacting to the development, BJP spokesperson Vinay Singh said: “It is clear that once a dynast, always a dynast. The momentary transition of power to Champai Soren was nothing but a façade.” A JMM leader said that the alliance partner legislators and leaders elected Hemant Soren for a third term of Chief Minister “for a unified command” ahead of the upcoming State elections in October this year. Mr. Hemant Soren had previously taken oath as Chief Minister in July 2013 and December 2019. He may now be invited by the Governor to take oath as CM for the third time on Thursday. The strength of the JMM-led alliance in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly has been reduced to 45 MLAs after the recent parliamentary election. Two JMM MLAs, Nalin Soren and Joba Majhi, are now MPs, while Jama legislator Sita Soren, estranged sister-in-law of Mr. Hemant Soren, resigned from the party to contest the general election on a BJP ticket. The JMM also expelled two more legislators – Bishunpur MLA Chamra Linda and Boriyo MLA Lobin Hembrom – from the party, leaving it with 27 MLAs, along with 17 from the Congress and one from the Rashtriya Janata Dal in the ruling coalition. The BJP’s strength has also been reduced to 24, as two of its MLAs – Dhulu Mahto from Baghmara and Manish Jaiswal from Hazaribag – are now MPs. It also expelled Mandu MLA Jaiprakash Bhai Patel after he joined the Congress to contest the election. The Hindu’s Editorial Avoidable tragedy: On the Hathras stampede ​Spirit of accommodation: On conduct in the 18th Lok Sabha The Hindu’s Daily Quiz In which country is the largest IMAX screen in the world? Germany The U.S. The U.K. France To know the answer and to play the full quiz, click here. [logo] Editor's Pick 04 July 2024 [The Hindu logo] [EP Logo] Editor's Pick 04 July 2024 In the Editor's Pick newsletter, The Hindu explains why a story was important enough to be carried on the front page of today's edition of our newspaper. [View in browser]( [More newsletters]( Champai Soren quits as Jharkhand CM to make way for Hemant Soren [Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren resigned]( on Wednesday, paving the way for his predecessor Hemant Soren to stake claim to form the government and return to the State’s top post after being unanimously elected leader of the ruling alliance’s legislators at a marathon meeting in Ranchi.  Mr. Hemant Soren, son of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) supremo Shibu Soren, had resigned as Chief Minister in January shortly before [he was taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate]( in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. He was released on bail on June 28. In an editorial, The Hindu pointed out the bail to Mr. Hemant Soren “exposes the questionable practice of the Enforcement Directorate in slapping money-laundering cases just to arrest political adversaries of the ruling dispensation... Weaponising such provisions against political opponents can have grave consequences for their personal liberty.” Mr. Hemant Soren spent five months in prison; the [ED had registered a case]( under the stringent Prevention of Money Laundering Act against him based on a police case related to forgery and fabrication of documents involving a revenue inspector and his associates. Ending his five-month term, Mr. Champai Soren met Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan at the Raj Bhavan on Wednesday evening and tendered his resignation in the presence of Mr. Hemant Soren, who staked claim soon afterwards. The outgoing CM is said to be “upset” over the development, though he has denied this, and is likely to be given a new responsibility as the chairman of the INDIA bloc coordination committee in the State or as executive president of the JMM, sources said. [Mr. Champai Soren, 67, is a six-term MLA from Seraikela]( and was the Minister of Transport, Scheduled Caste and Backward Class Welfare in the Hemant Soren Cabinet before being given the top job. “I have resigned on my own,” Mr. Champai later told presspersons. Alliance partners from the Congress, including Ghulam Ahmad Mir, the party’s in-charge for the State, and State Congress chief Rajesh Thakur, were present at the meeting of legislators from the INDIA coalition who reached a consensus on the change of guard. Reacting to the development, BJP spokesperson Vinay Singh said: “It is clear that once a dynast, always a dynast. The momentary transition of power to Champai Soren was nothing but a façade.” A JMM leader said that the alliance partner legislators and leaders elected Hemant Soren for a third term of Chief Minister “for a unified command” ahead of the upcoming State elections in October this year. Mr. Hemant Soren had previously taken oath as Chief Minister in July 2013 and December 2019. He may now be invited by the Governor to take oath as CM for the third time on Thursday. The strength of the JMM-led alliance in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly has been reduced to 45 MLAs after the recent parliamentary election. Two JMM MLAs, Nalin Soren and Joba Majhi, are now MPs, while [Jama legislator Sita Soren]( estranged sister-in-law of Mr. Hemant Soren, resigned from the party to contest the general election on a BJP ticket. The JMM also expelled two more legislators – Bishunpur MLA Chamra Linda and Boriyo MLA Lobin Hembrom – from the party, leaving it with 27 MLAs, along with 17 from the Congress and one from the Rashtriya Janata Dal in the ruling coalition. The BJP’s strength has also been reduced to 24, as two of its MLAs – Dhulu Mahto from Baghmara and Manish Jaiswal from Hazaribag – are now MPs. It also expelled Mandu MLA Jaiprakash Bhai Patel after he joined the Congress to contest the election. The Hindu’s Editorial [Arrow][Avoidable tragedy: On the Hathras stampedeÂ]( [Arrow][​Spirit of accommodation: On conduct in the 18th Lok SabhaÂ]( The Hindu’s Daily Quiz In which country is the largest IMAX screen in the world? - Germany - The U.S. - The U.K. - France To know the answer and to play the full quiz, [click here.]( [Sign up for free]( Today’s Best Reads [[Lok Sabha Speaker forms panel to frame rules on oath-taking of members] Lok Sabha Speaker forms panel to frame rules on oath-taking of members]( [[New NCERT textbooks delayed, Class 6 students to go to school without books] New NCERT textbooks delayed, Class 6 students to go to school without books]( [[We must rise above politics for peace in Manipur, says PM Modi] We must rise above politics for peace in Manipur, says PM Modi]( [[Champai Soren quits as Jharkhand CM to make way for Hemant Soren’s return] Champai Soren quits as Jharkhand CM to make way for Hemant Soren’s return]( Copyright© 2024, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. 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