After ending his political journey of four and a half decades with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), former chief minister Champai Soren formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday.
In a big public meeting organised at Shaheed Maidan in Ranchi’s Dhurwa, Union Agriculture Minister and Jharkhand BJP election in-charge Shivraj Singh Chauhan, election co-in-charge and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and Jharkhand BJP President Babulal Marandi welcomed him into the party.
Champai Soren said that he has joined the BJP with the resolve to rebuild Jharkhand.
Along with Champai Soren, many others including his son Babulal Soren and Seraikela-Kharsawan Zila Parishad chairman and party's senior leader Sona Ram Bodra joined the BJP.
Addressing the public meeting, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan said that Champai Soren was among those leaders whose struggles led to the creation of a separate Jharkhand.
“Jharkhand Mukti Morcha has insulted such a leader. Now he is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. We are together and have come with the resolve to build a new Jharkhand,” he added.
It may be noted that on August 18, Champai Soren wrote a post on the social media platform X and announced that he will start a new chapter separate from JMM. He had written that while being the CM of the state, he was insulted in JMM and the way he was removed from the post was extremely humiliating.
On August 28, he resigned from the primary membership of the party and all the posts, claiming that its "present style of functioning and policies" forced him to leave the party that he served for many years.
Champai Soren, 68, famous as ' Kolhan Tiger' in Jharkhand politics, has been an MLA from Saraikela assembly constituency six times. Apart from being the CM for five months, he has also been a minister in the state government thrice.
Having been associated with the JMM for about 45 years, Champai Soren was a close associate of the party chief Shibu Soren.
HM Shah stresses on mapping of demographic data of people along India-Myanmar border
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that the demographic data of people along the India-Myanmar border, especially in Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur, should be mapped so that it can help in fencing of the border and infiltration can be stopped.
Drugs worth Rs 78 crore seized in Tripura, one held
In a major haul, the Assam Rifles in coordination with the other law enforcing agencies on Saturday seized 3.9 lakh methamphetamine tablets valued at around Rs 78 crore and arrested a drug peddler in Tripura, officials said on Saturday.
Manipur: Arms and ammunition recovered; two held with drugs
Manipur Police and other security forces recovered some arms and ammunition from different fringe and vulnerable areas and arrested two persons with drugs on Saturday, officials said.
New Maha Cabinet: Fadnavis keeps Home, Shinde gets Urban Development, Ajit Pawar in charge of Finance
Finally, the wait is over. Governor CP Radhakrishnan on Saturday approved the portfolio allocation to the ministers as recommended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The list was released after the conclusion of a weeklong winter session.
Explained: Key recommendations of 55th GST Council meet
From reducing GST rate on fortified rice kernel (FRK) to fully exempt GST on gene therapy, the 55th GST Council meeting, chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on Saturday made some key recommendations to provide relief to individuals and businesses.
India a natural trade and commerce partner of Kuwait: PM Modi
India has been a natural trading partner of Kuwait and continues to be so in contemporary times and people-to-people linkages over centuries have fostered a special bond of friendship between the two countries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar brings peace through meditation to UN headquarters consumed by global turmoil
Eighteen minutes of tranquility descended on the world organisation’s headquarters consumed by global turmoil as Sri Sri Ravi Shankar led a meditation session as a path to peace at the United Nations.
NE not just strategically important but also an epitome of nation's diversity, culture: Minister
Union Minister of State for DoNER Sukanta Majumdar on Friday underscored the strategic importance of the northeastern region and said that the region is not just a geographically significant part of the country but it is also an epitome of the nation's diversity, culture, and strategic importance.