Champai Soren.
Credit: X/@ChampaiSoren
Champai Soren will be the Jharkhand Chief Minister in place of Hemant Soren, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) announced on Wednesday.
Ahead of the decision to handover the reigns of the CM's office to Champai, speculation were rife that Hemant Soren’s wife Kalpana would be the first choice for the chief minister's post in case her husband was arrested.
Kalpana Soren was also present at the meeting of alliance legislators at the CM's residence yesterday. However, Hemant Soren's sister-in-law and JMM MLA Sita Soren openly opposed this decision.
With Champai Soren set to take oath soon, let us find out who Champai Soren is:
Member of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly, Champai Soren is a senior leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.
Champai Soren has been serving as the Cabinet Minister of Transport, Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Caste & Backward class welfare in Hemant's cabinet.
Champai completed his matriculation From R K M High School in Jamshedpur in the year 1974.
His net assets as of 2019 are Rs 2,28,22,491. He has declared Rs 76,50,059 worth of liabilities. Champai Soren is the eldest son of Simal Soren, a farmer.
When the demands for a separate state of Jharkhand were arising in the late 90s, Champai Soren got the title of the Jharkhand Tiger owing to his strong particiaption alongside Shibu Soren, Hemant Soren's father.
Champai, who is considered a close aide of Hemant Soren's father (Shibu Soren), has often expressed support to the latter and his governance. After the meeting of legislators on Tuesday, the senior JMM leader told PTI that they would not allow the BJP to succeed in its mission. "We are ready for what may come... The BJP is abusing central agencies to destabilise a democratically elected government but we will not allow them to succeed in their mission."