In his statement, Soren said, “I don’t know what rumours are being spread. I don’t know what news is being run so I cannot tell whether it’s true or not, I don’t know anything about it.” He further affirmed his current political stance by stating, “Hum jahan par hain vahi par hain” (I am where I am).
Rumours had been swirling that Champai Soren along with few other JMM leaders could join BJP ahead of the Jharkhand Assembly polls due to be held this year.
Former BJP state president Deepak Prakash also responded to the reports and told ANI, “I have heard this in reports only. I don’t have any authentic information… He (Champai Soren) was serving Jharkhand as a good CM… Everything depends on the central leadership. He is a huge personality… 3.5 crore people of Jharkhand were happy with his work… But the way he was removed from the CM post was unfortunate. It was a setback that a good person was removed from the CM’s chair. What was his fault?…”
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma who is the election co-incharge from the BJP also refused to give any firm answers and said, “No one is in touch with us yet. I am also hearing these reports from the channels. Champai Soren is a very senior leader, I do not want to make any informal comment about him.”
Soren served as Jharkhand CM for a very short tenure after the then CM Hemant Soren had to resign following the arrest on January 31 this year in a money laundering case. Champai Soren, sworn in as CM on February 2, resigned on July 3 to pave the way for Hemant Soren to reclaim his post after he was released after being granted bail on June 28.