Chief minister Hemant Soren blamed BJP, saying it is trying to “poach” INDIA bloc and JMM MLAs by offering money and that some legislators are even falling prey to such approaches.
BJP supported Champai’s move but remained tight-lipped on whether he would be taken into the party fold. Other alliance partners, including Congress, said they hoped Champai would stay with JMM but said even if he left it would not affect JMM or the alliance’s poll prospects.
Current phase my personal struggle: Champai Soren
Champai’s posts on ‘X’, which said the current phase came about after he was “forced to resign as CM”, ended the uncertainty of the last two days. His posts, in Hindi, came hours after flying to Delhi suddenly on Sunday afternoon amid raging rumours that he was set to join BJP. Notably, Champai Soren did not take a direct flight to Delhi but went to Kolkata by road via Jamshedpur on Saturday night and flew to Delhi from there.
Between his transit from Ranchi to Delhi, JMM flags and posters went missing from Champai’s residence at Jillingora and his govt bungalow in Ranchi, lending credence to rumours that he was leaving the party. By Sunday afternoon, he also changed his bio on ‘X’ by removing his JMM and ministerial credentials, referring to himself only as former CM of Jharkhand.
In his elaborate statement on social media he described the current phase as “his personal struggle” and maintained he has no intention of involving any party member in it or causing harm to JMM, which, he said, has his blood and sweat.
“After watching the news today, many questions must be arising in your mind. What happened that brought the son of a poor farmer living in a small village of Kolhan to this turning point? From the day of my resignation as CM till today, and till the upcoming Jharkhand assembly election, all options are open for me in this journey,” announced Champai, a veteran tribal politician from Kolhan division.
In his post, Champai also said, “I have always done politics of public concern. I have been trying to get the rights of the tribals, natives, poor, labourers, students and backward class of the state as the CM. Whether I held any post or not, I was available to the public every moment, raising the issues of those who dreamed of a better future with the state of Jharkhand.”
JMM was still to comment officially. However, JMM MLA and tourism minister Hafizul Hassan said, “He is the pillar of the party and is the most trusted general of JMM. We are hopeful he will continue to remain with us.”
BJP, on the other hand, said they have been highlighting how lust for power and a family-centric party forced Champai to turn away from JMM.