After registering a thumping victory in Jharkhand Assembly Elections, Hemant Soren is set to take oath as Chief Minister on November 28. Soren met Jharkhand Governor Santosh Gangwar today to resign as Chief Minister and stake claim to form the government, soon after leaders of the INDIA bloc in the state unanimously elected him as the legislature party leader.
The JMM led alliance despite facing a fierce challenge from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA alliance, which mounted an aggressive campaign, the JMM led alliance managed to secure 56 seats in the 81-member assembly, far surpassing the BJP's 24. Soren, who drove to the Raj Bhavan in his car, said the governor asked him to officiate as the acting chief minister in the interim.
"I met the governor. We staked claim to form the government, and handed over support letter of alliance partners to him.He invited us to form the government. The swearing in ceremony will be held on November 28," Soren told reporters after meeting Gangwar.
The BJP contested 68 seats and secured only 21, with its vote share standing at 33.18 per cent, a figure that was still higher than JMM's 23.44 per cent, but not enough to secure a majority.
Soren, who had faced political turmoil this year, including a legal battle and an arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), emerged stronger than ever. in the recent polls. The 49-year-old won from the Barhait constituency, where he defeated BJP's Gamliyel Hembrom by a margin of 39,791 votes.
After his release on bail earlier this year, Soren returned to the political fray with renewed vigour. His wife, Kalpana Soren, who played a key role in keeping the JMM ship steady in his absence, won her seat in Gandey with a margin of 17,142 votes.
In a statement following the election results, Soren expressed gratitude to the people of Jharkhand, terming the INDIA bloc's strong showing as a "passing of the exam of democracy." The JMM's victory is widely seen as a reaffirmation of the tribal vote's loyalty to Soren's leadership, despite the best efforts by the BJP to wrest power from the incumbent government.
The BJP, led by prominent figures such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, launched a high-octane campaign targeting the Soren-led government's alleged corruption and accusations of fostering "infiltration" from Bangladesh. Despite the extensive reach of the BJP's campaign, which included rallies by the party's top brass, the NDA's strategy fell flat, failing to replicate its Maharashtra victory.
Soren will be sworn in as the 14th chief minister of Jharkhand, which was carved out of Bihar on November 15, 2000. This is the fourth term that he wil be sworn in as chief minister.
Earlier, leaders and MLAs of the alliance, during a meeting at Hemant Soren's residence here, unanimously elected him as the coalition's leader.
Congress's Jharkhand in-charge and party general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir and senior party leader Rajesh Thakur also attended the meeting, besides legislators of the coalition parties.
Hemant Soren, the son of JMM supremo Shibu Soren, began his political career in 2009 as a Rajya Sabha member, but his tenure in the upper House of Parliament was short-lived.
He resigned in 2010 to become the deputy chief minister in the BJP-led Arjun Munda government. However, the alliance collapsed in 2012, leading to President's Rule in the state. Despite this setback, Soren's resolve to lead Jharkhand never faltered.
In 2013, Soren became the state's youngest chief minister at the age of 38, forming the government with the support of Congress and RJD.
However, his first term was short-lived, as the BJP took power in 2014, and Soren became leader of the opposition.
A pivotal moment in his career came in 2016 when the BJP-led government attempted to amend laws protecting tribal land, such as the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act and the Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act.
Soren led a massive movement to protect tribal rights, which not only earned him widespread support but also set the stage for his return to power.
In 2019, Soren, with the backing of his allies Congress and RJD, reclaimed the chief minister's office. His JMM party won 30 seats. This time, the party won 34 seats, its highest ever tally in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, signaling the growing popularity of his leadership.
