Champai Soren May Join BJP With 5 JMM MLAs Ahead of Jharkhand Polls: Sources
Former Jharkhand CM Champai Soren. (PTI)
Champai Soren likely to join BJP, he is in continuous touch with senior BJP leaders, 5-6 JMM MLAs will also join BJP with Champai soren.
Former Jharkhand chief minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Champai Soren is likely to switch sides to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday along with five other party MLAs, according to sources. These five MLAs, who are said to be accompanying him, are not reachable on phone.
Champai reportedly took an early morning flight to Delhi today, accompanied by his personal staff, amid speculations of a possible BJP switch.
The JMM leader was anointed to the top post after Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case. He was unhappy with the way he was unceremoniously removed from the Chief Minister’s post to make way for Hemant Soren to become CM again.
Champai was in Kolkata on Saturday and reportedly met BJP leader Suvendhu Adhikari.
Lobin Hembrom, former JMM MLA who fought as a rebel candidate in the Lok Sabha election, told a media organisation that Champai Soren is in touch with BJP leadership, adding that the time has come to oppose ‘parivarvaad’ or dynasty politics. Hembrom was recently disqualified as a JMM MLA under the anti-defection law.
This led to the speculation of Champai quitting the JMM. Slowly, the buzz snowballed into not just Champai, but Hembram as well as sitting minister Badal Patralekh too tipped to join the BJP in Delhi.
However, the senior leader on Saturday refuted the rumours of him joining the BJP. Rejecting the reports, Champai 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…Hum jahan par hain vahi par hain (I am here only)”.
