Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Kalpana Soren during 'Maiya Samman Yatra', in Chanho block of Ranchi.
Credit: PTI Photo
Kalpana Soren, JMM leader and wife of Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren filed her nomination as party candidate from Gandey Assembly constituency.
Polling for the 81-member assembly is in two phases -- the first was on November 13 and the second is on November 20, and the votes will be counted on November 23. She rose to prominence after the arrest of her husband, Hemant.
Here is all you need to know about Kalpana Soren:
Kalpana had embarked on a political journey at the 51st Foundation Day celebration of the JMM in Giridih district on March 4, claiming that a conspiracy had been orchestrated by opponents ever since the Hemant Soren coalition government came to power in 2019.
Kalpana has been a prominent face in I.N.D.I.A. bloc rallies in Jharkhand and campaigned for the alliance in the state.
She was one of the prominent speakers at the 'Ulgulan Nyay' rally in Ranchi, which was attended by leaders of 28 parties on April 21.
After the ruling JMM-led alliance proved its majority on February 5 and her husband made a fiery speech in the assembly, Kalpana took to X to announce that the "fight against injustice and oppression will continue".
Kalpana, a homemaker, completed her education in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district and obtained her engineering and MBA degrees in Bhubaneswar.
Hemant Soren was arrested by the ED on January 31 in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land fraud. He resigned from the post before the arrest.
Hemant's arrest had sparked speculation that Kalpana would assume leadership. However, a family rift emerged, with his sister-in-law, Sita Soren, openly opposing any move to make Kalpana the chief minister.
Kalpana then declared, "I have fought, and I will continue to fight! We have won, and we will win!"
Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.
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