JMM leader Hemant Soren, who was released from jail on bail on June 28 in an alleged money laundering case, is likely to return as chief minister of Jharkhand for the third time following consensus among JMM-led alliance MLAs, party sources have informed.
Leaders and MLAs of the alliance during a meeting at Chief Minister Champai Soren’s residence unanimously decided to elect Hemant Soren as JMM legislature party leader, they said.
"A decision was taken in the meeting to replace Champai Soren with Hemant Soren," a party source said.
If sworn in, he will be the 13th chief minister of Jharkhand, which was carved out of Bihar on November 15, 2000.
Congress' Jharkhand in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir and its state president Rajesh Thakur also attended the meeting, besides Hemant Soren's brother Basant and wife Kalpana.
Hemant Soren was released from jail on June 28 after nearly five months, as the high court granted him bail in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. He had resigned as the CM before his arrest on January 31.
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