As one Soren takes political center stage, the other moves to the BJP

Three-time MLA Sita Soren quits JMM today and joins BJP

Ranchi:

The political schism in the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) first family has come into the open as Sita Soren, the daughter-in-law of the party founder Shibu Soren, today defected to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh party, accusing the JMM leadership of neglecting her. Meanwhile, another bahu in the family, Hemant Soren’s wife Kalpana, emerged as the face of the party in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls.

On January 31, there were speculations that his wife Kalpana might take over as chief minister if the Enforcement Directorate (ED) takes action to arrest Hemant Soren, his sister-in-law and three-time MLA Councilor Sita said Kalpana had “no political experience”.

A few days later, Champai Soren, a trusted aide of the JMM first family, took over as the chief minister of Jharkhand. A month later, the party selected Kalpana Soren to address India’s massive rally in Mumbai, marking Rahul Gandhi’s Sunday Bharat Choudan Jaya Yatra The end of (Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra).

The 48-year-old leader, who shared the stage with heavyweight leaders such as Rahul Gandhi, Uddhav Thackeray and Tejashvi Yadav, delivered a confident speech urging voters to rise up against “authoritarian regimes” “. “In Maharashtra, people are being bribed to topple the government. But in Jharkhand, the alliance MLAs have shown that power, it cannot shake our government. A conspiracy is being hatched to bring down the government. My husband is in jail. In the days to come, many other names will come up. Come up. I want to tell the authoritarian powers that India will not bow down.”

She also thanked Rahul Gandhi for embarking on his pilgrimage from Manipur. “He chose it when Manipur was burning. I am saying this as a tribal. At that time, no one paid attention to Manipur. Even today, the Center and state governments are silent.”

Kalpana Soren, who holds master’s degrees in engineering and business administration, had largely stayed out of the political spotlight until her husband, Hemant Soren, was arrested in a money laundering case. The former chief minister of Jharkhand has denied the charges against him and accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of political vendetta.

Days before Hemant Soren’s arrest, there were speculations that Kalpana Soren might take his place. But then, the name of Shanpai Sauron appeared. The BJP later claimed that a majority of JMM legislators were against Kalpana Soren’s elevation as chief minister.

After his arrest, Kalpana Soren started managing Hemant Soren’s Twitter account and articulating the party’s stance in public meetings. The party is clearly hoping to play the public sympathy card in the upcoming polls by making her the face of the campaign. The JMM is yet to finalize its candidate list for the Lok Sabha polls, with Kalpana Soren being seen as a possible candidate.

Meanwhile, Sita Soren has put an end to the project. She resigned from the JMM and joined the BJP two days after her sister-in-law addressed a rally in Mumbai. In her resignation letter to party president and father-in-law Shibu Soren, she mentioned the role of her husband and Hemant Soren’s brother late Durga Soren in the Jharkhand statehood movement positive effects.

She said she and her family have been neglected since his death. “It is very painful that party members and families have alienated us,” she wrote, adding that the JMM had changed and was now controlled by people whose values ​​did not match hers. She also alleged a conspiracy against her. “I have served the party for 14 years but so far I have not received the respect I deserve,” said Jama, a three-time MLA from Jharkhand.

After joining the BJP, she told New Delhi TV in an interview, “The party did not give me any post but I left. But this cannot continue any longer. I am confident that Lotus will win in all 14 seats in Jharkhand In full bloom. Although I am loyal to the party, I cannot work freely.” When asked if she raised concerns with the JMM leadership and Hemant Soren, she said: “I raised it many times but he Just assurances and nothing.” Sita Soren called the new chief minister Champai Soren a “rubber stamp”.

JMM called the mass exit “unfortunate.” Party leader Manoj Pandey said Sita Soren is considered an important member of the party. “The kind of respect she gets from this party, I don’t think she’ll get anywhere else. If she’s influenced by people who oppose us, she’s going to self-sabotage.”