Why Hemant Soren May Not Remain Jharkhand CM For Long

The Chief Minister of Jharkhand and the working president of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Hemant Soren may be disqualified as an MLA of the Jharkhand assembly following charges of corruption.

What happened?

- Soren got a lease for mining in 0.88 acres of land in Angara Block of Ranchi a few years ago.

- The approval of environment clearance for this mine raised accusations of corruption as he held both the mining and environment portfolios when the clearance was given.

-The mining lease was subsequently cancelled but the damage was already done.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) will now take a call on granting an opportunity to Soren to be heard in the case. Ultimately, it is the EC which has to recommend to the Jharkhand Governor if Soren should be disqualified or not.

Hemant Soren has also been accused of:

- Allowing his younger brother and Dumka MLA Basant Soren’s company to illegally export stone chips to Bangladesh, incurring losses for the state.

- Granting lucrative mining leases to his aides.

- Allotting an 11 acre plot of land at an industrial cluster in Ranchi to a company belonging to his wife Kalpana Soren.

Damage control

- JMM and the Congress closed ranks and rejected the charges against Soren.

- They insist that the CM’s family were free to pursue their own business ventures.

- They have also accused BJP of making false allegations.

Internal power struggle

- Finding a successor to Hemant Soren may create deep fissures within the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.

- Hemant Soren’s younger brother and Dumka MLA Basant Soren, the primary claimant, is seen as a novice and may not be supported by JMM veterans.

- A few senior JMM leaders and ministers consider themselves to be the rightful claimants to that post.

Bottomline: The JMM-Congress-RJD government collapsing is a real possibility. All eyes are now on the Election Commission.

You can read an in-depth analysis of the situation here.