Last Updated:
“CM Hemant Soren and Kalpana Soren have been in Delhi for the past several days. They will return to Ranchi from Delhi tomorrow,” according to News18 Bihar Jharkhand.
Jharkhand CM and JMM chief Hemant Soren. (CMO/PTI)
Amid reports of Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren and his wife Kalpana’s talks with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, speculation is rife that the state may see a power shift.
“CM Hemant Soren and Kalpana Soren have been in Delhi for the past several days. They will return to Ranchi from Delhi tomorrow,” according to News18 Bihar Jharkhand.
Jharkhand: How the numbers add up
Of the total 81 assembly seats in Jharkhand, 41 are required for a majority.
In the existing JMM-led alliance, JMM has 34 seats, Congress has 16 MLAs, Rashtriya Janata Dal 4 and Left 2, which brings the total to 56.
The BJP has 21 seats, which means an alliance between the two, along with the LJP’s one MLA, AJSU’s one and the JD(U)’s one, would deliver 58 seats.
To avoid disqualification under the anti-defection law, at least 11 Congress lawmakers would have to split en masse, though any final decision lies with the Speaker, JMM’s Rabindra Nath Mahto.
The buzz
Some reports suggest that at least eight of the 16 Congress MLAs are also in talks to break ranks and join a new configuration led by Soren with outside support from the BJP.
A report by The Sunday Guardian suggested that senior Congress sources privately admitted that discussions are underway, adding that “things will become clearer within two days”.
Another layer to the speculation is the Centre’s apparent plan to confer the Bharat Ratna next year on JMM founder and former Chief Minister Shibu Soren, who passed away in August. Several within the JMM believe this could be both a symbolic outreach and a political opening toward a new alignment.
Sources cited in the media indicated that even the post of Deputy Chief Minister has been discussed as part of negotiations.
The Bihar jolt
The JMM has been completely eliminated from the Bihar Assembly elections. The JMM was vying for 16 assembly seats as part of the Grand Alliance, but the RJD and Congress leadership held off on making a decision until the last minute. This not only hurt the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leadership, but has also led it to decide to review its current alliance with the RJD and Congress in Jharkhand.
Why the shift?
According to reports, the JMM is keen on a better relationship with the Centre for development of Jharkhand.
Soren is also camp worried about the pending Enforcement Directorate cases linked to alleged corruption.
Under the new Bill introduced in Parliament in August which is currently before a Joint Parliamentary Committee, a Chief Minister or Prime Minister must step down on the 31st day of being arrested, or automatically lose the post. This has added to the urgency, according to reports.
The ED case against Soren
The case against Soren concerns an alleged land scam or money-laundering involving about 8.5-8.86 acres of land in the Bargain/Badgai area of Ranchi. According to ED, the scam involves a network that illegally acquired and possessed properties through falsification of government records. The key accused in the syndicate was a former revenue sub-inspector Bhanu Pratap Prasad. The ED alleged that Soren, along with others, conspired with Prasad and illicitly acquired these land parcels.
After multiple summons since 2023, the ED on January 29, 2024, declared him “untraceable / missing” for 30 hours after a visit to his Delhi residence. He was arrested on January 31, 2024, shortly after resigning as Chief Minister of the state. Following his arrest, Champai Soren was sworn in as Chief Minister on February 2, 2024.
Soren was released on June 28, 2024 on bail. He was sworn in as the CM again.
In the 2024 Jharkhand Legislative Assembly election, held in November 2024, Soren’s party won the majority and formed the government.
With Agency Inputs
About the Author
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, …Read More
Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google. December 02, 2025, 19:14 IST
Read More
