NEW DELHI:
Jharkhand chief minister Champai Soren on Wednesday resigned from the post to pave way for Hemant Soren, who had to step down as the CM following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in an alleged money laundering case.
Soon after Champai's resignation, Hemant Soren staked claim before the governor to form government for the third time.
"We all know what happened with Hemant Soren and he was forced to resign. Our alliance, however, is strong and we have made a leadership change today. Hemant Soren has been selected as alliance's legislature party leader and I have resigned willingly," Champai told PTI.
Earlier, sources in JMM said Hemant's return as CM was agreed upon by the party's allies -- Congress and the RJD, according to news agency PTI. Champai Soren had taken oath as Jharkhand's 12th chief minister after Hemant's arrest.
The move comes days after Soren was granted bail in a money laundering case linked to the land scam case.
The party sources said that leaders and MLAs of the alliance during a meeting at CM Champai Soren's house unanimously decided to elect Hemant Soren as JMM legislature party leader.
Besides Hemant Soren's brother Basant and wife Kalpana, Congress's Jharkhand in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir and its state president Rajesh Thakur also attended the meeting where the decision was taken.
Hemant Soren had tendered his resignation from the CM post before his arrest on January 31.
On June 28, Soren walked out of the Birsa Munda Central Jail after he was granted bail by the Jharkhand high court at about 4 pm.
Justice Rongon Mukhopadhyay pronounced the order directing Hemant to be released on furnishing bail bonds in the open court.
A day after his bail, Hemant Soren held a public rally in Sahibganj and claimed that the BJP was jittery after his release, alleging that top party leaders were conspiring against him again.
Meanwhile, BJP's Godda MP Nishikant Dubey has taken a dig at the JMM's expected move, calling it a "family-oriented party".
"The Champai Soren era is over in Jharkhand. In the family-oriented party, people outside the family have no political future. I wish the chief minister drew inspiration from Bhagwan Birsa Munda and stood up against the corrupt Hemant Soren ji," Nishkant Dubey wrote on X.