Former Jharkhand chief minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Champai Soren removed JMM's name from his X (Twitter) profile. The development comes moments after his arrival amid strong buzz that he may switch sides ahead of the Jharkhand Assembly election. The sources said he is likely to join rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The political development is crucial as the Assembly election is due in Jharkhand this year.
However, after reaching Delhi airport, he said he had no plane to go anywhere. "Hum abhi jahan hain wahin par hain (I am where I am)," he asserted when he was asked about his plan to join the BJP.
He said he had come to Delhi for personal reasons and would meet his daughter.
Earlier on August 17, he gave a similar statement, saying, "I don’t know what rumours are being spread. I don’t know what news is being run so I cannot tell whether it’s true or not, I don’t know anything about it."
Champai Soren takes oath as minister in Hemant Soren govt
Meanwhile, in July, Champai Soren, along with 10 other leaders of the JMM-led coalition took oath as ministers in the Hemant Soren government in Jharkhand.
Champai had resigned from the post of CM on July 3, a day before JMM executive president Hemant Soren took oath as the 13th chief minister of Jharkhand on July 4. Hemant Soren was released from jail on June 28 after the Jharkhand High Court granted bail to him in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. He had resigned as the CM shortly before his arrest on January 31 by the Enforcement Directorate.
