Former Jharkhand CM and former JMM leader Champai Soren has joined BJP. During a program in Ranchi, Champai Soren took membership of BJP along with his supporters in the presence of Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and Jharkhand BJP President Babulal Marandi. Champai, a founding member of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), had left the party two days ago, angry at being removed from the post of CM.
In fact, the 67-year-old tribal leader’s joining the BJP is being seen as a boost to the saffron party’s efforts to enhance its ties with the Scheduled Tribes, a community that has been the core voter base of the JMM. Champai has been a close aide of JMM supremo Shibu Soren.
Champai Soren left the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Wednesday. He said that the current working style of the state government and its policies forced him to leave the party which he served for many years.
Why is BJP trying to woo Champai?
Let us tell you that Champai Soren, popularly known as Kolhan Tiger, was the most senior tribal leader in JMM after party patron Shibu Soren. His stature in JMM can be understood from the fact that when Hemant Soren decided to step down from the post of Chief Minister of Jharkhand due to ED’s arrest, Champai Soren was made the Chief Minister in place of his cabinet colleague Joba Majhi. However, after being released from Ranchi jail, Hemant Soren returned to the CM office on July 4. Champai Soren was included in the Jharkhand cabinet as the new Education Minister, but this did not go down well with the ‘Tiger of Kolhan’. And a few days ago, he wrote a long post on X and announced his decision to leave the party.
The history of Champai Soren’s strong hold in the Kolhan region is quite old. He is known as a working class leader who fought for Jharkhand under the leadership of Shibu Soren. He himself is proud of the fact that more than 10 thousand youths from the local villages of this region got jobs in industrial establishments like Tata Group. It was because of the tribal dominated area Kolhan that JMM ensured its victory in the 2019 assembly elections. Despite the Modi wave and Ram Mandir wave, Hemant Soren’s JMM won 11 out of 14 assembly constituencies and two were captured by the Congress. Due to these numbers, JMM recorded its best ever electoral numbers in Jharkhand elections. Therefore, it is believed that Champai Soren is important for BJP to make a strong hold in this region.
How powerful is the Kolhan Tiger?
Kolhan Tiger Champai Soren belongs to the influential Santhal tribe of Jharkhand. According to the 2011 census, the tribal population in Jharkhand is 86 lakh 45 thousand 42 people out of the total population of 3 crore 29 lakh 88 thousand 134. In this too, the Santhal population alone is 27 lakh 54 thousand 723 lakh. Champai Soren is counted among the top leaders of the Santhal tribe. Champai, who played an active role in the movement demanding Jharkhand state, is also considered to have a strong influence among the people of other tribes.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)