Blitz Bureau
FORMER Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren broke his silence on the ‘affront and insult’ he was subjected to within the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), and narrated a few incidents which forced him to rethink his association with the party he served whole of his life.
However, Jharkhand BJP president Babulal Marandi on Monday said in Ranchi that no talk was held yet with Champai Soren regarding his joining the saffron party. Marandi said that Champai is a seasoned politician and he would himself decide his own path.
While the visit ignited fresh talks of his likely defection from Hemant Soren’s party, when questioned about a possible switch, Champai Soren said, “I am here for some personal work.”
Champai, once a close aide of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, was left devastated when his decisions were overturned by some party workers and his programmes as CM were cancelled at the behest of some ‘overpowering’ figure in JMM.
The ex-CM took to X and made some shocking revelations on how he was slighted and subjected to ridicule in the party, and what made him ‘dissociate’ from party affairs and chart his own course.
His revelations, coming in the wake of strong buzz over a possible switchover to BJP, only goes to show how the family-led party ‘prevailed’ over the CM’s chair in Jharkhand.
Recalling a legislative party meet, Champai said, “The Chief Minister has the mandate to call a legislative party meeting but the irony is that I wasn’t even aware of the agenda of the meet despite being at the helm. I was directed to submit my resignation (after Hemant Soren’s release from jail). I was aghast and shocked at such directive coming from people with no authority. As I didn’t have any attachment to the Chair, I quickly tendered my resignation.” “However, the incident deeply hurt me and my self-respect,” he added.
“For the past three days, I have been slighted and snubbed by the JMM leadership. Despite dedicating my entire life for the party, I am being treated like a baggage,” he said.
The senior leader also said that he was heartbroken over the episode but couldn’t turn to anyone as the party supremo (Shibu Soren) is no longer active in politics. “I was very hurt but didn’t share my pain with anyone. There are many instances when some people intentionally put me down and tried to belittle my contributions. I am forced to look for places where I can find my selfrespect,” he said.
