Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India]: In a significant political move, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has been elected as the new President of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). The announcement was made during the party’s 13th central convention, the ‘Mahaadhiveshan,’ held in Ranchi on Tuesday.
Shibu Soren, the founder of the party, who had been serving as its president, will now hold the position of ‘Founder Patron.’ The transition comes after Hemant Soren, who was previously serving as the executive president of JMM, was elevated to lead the party.
JMM is a regional party in Jharkhand and is currently part of the Congress-led INDIA alliance at the Centre, as well as the JMM-led Mahagathbandhan coalition in Jharkhand. The party won the recently concluded state assembly elections and subsequently formed a government with its allies, Congress, RJD, and the Left parties.
In the 2024 Jharkhand assembly elections, JMM secured 34 seats, with its allies Congress winning 16, RJD four, and CPI-ML two. The BJP, despite winning 21 seats, did not manage to secure enough support to form a government.
Hemant Soren’s leadership has been pivotal for the party, especially after the turbulent period following his arrest in a money laundering case related to an alleged land scam. Despite the challenges, Soren was released from Birsa Munda Jail in June 2024 after securing bail from the Jharkhand High Court and was sworn in as Chief Minister for the third time on July 8, 2024.