Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India]: Amid speculation that former Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren may quit the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) party and join another front, JMM leader Manoj Pandey warned that such a move would be self-sabotage for Soren.
Speaking to media on Sunday, Pandey said, “Champai Soren is a cautious leader and remains a member of the party. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to comment on any of his remarks. However, if he does make such remarks and leaves the party for another, such as the BJP, it would be self-sabotage for him.”
Pandey added that he “can’t believe that a mature politician like Soren would make such a decision to join the BJP, which is already a sinking ship.”
Pandey further noted, “It is his decision to make, and the party will respond accordingly. The impact on the coalition and the party will be a matter for later stages if he leaves. However, Champai Da will suffer immediately, that much is certain.”
Earlier on Sunday, former Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren stated that he felt “insulted” during his tenure, and until the upcoming Jharkhand Assembly polls, “all options are open for him.”
He cited various instances where he was not allowed to convene a meeting of the legislative party and was suddenly asked to resign, prompting him “to look for an alternative path.”
In a lengthy post on X, Champai Soren emphasised that he has always engaged in politics with the public’s concerns in mind, from advocating for workers against industrial houses early in his career to supporting the Jharkhand movement.
“Recently, after Hal Diwas, I learned that the party leadership had postponed all my programs for the next two days. One was a public event in Dumka, and the other was the distribution of appointment letters to PGT teachers. When I inquired, I was informed that a meeting of the legislative party had been called by the coalition on July 3, and until then, I could not attend any programs as CM,” Soren said.
“Is there anything more humiliating in a democracy than having a Chief Minister’s programs cancelled by someone else?” he questioned, listing the bitter experiences he faced during his tenure.