Kalpana Soren, the wife of jailed former Chief Minister Hemant Soren, on Monday was sworn in as a member of the Jharkhand Assembly representing the Gandey constituency. The oath was administered by Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto in a ceremony attended by Chief Minister Champai Soren and other prominent leaders from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).
Kalpana Soren defeats BJP's Dilip Kumar Verma
Kalpana Soren secured her position in the Assembly by winning the Gandey bypoll, triumphing over the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) candidate, Dilip Kumar Verma, with a substantial margin of 27,149 votes. This by-election was necessitated due to the resignation of JMM MLA Sarfaraz Ahmad. The polling, which took place on May 20, saw a significant voter turnout, with 2.17 lakh out of the 3.16 lakh eligible voters casting their ballots, reflecting the robust democratic engagement in the region.
Kalpana embarked on her political journey during the 51st Foundation Day celebration of the JMM in Giridih district on March 4, asserting that a conspiracy had been orchestrated by opponents ever since the Hemant Soren coalition government came to power in 2019.
Hemant Soren arrested in money laundering case
Hemant Soren was arrested by the ED on January 31 in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land fraud. He resigned from his post before the arrest. Kalpana has been a prominent figure in INDIA bloc rallies in Jharkhand. A homemaker, she completed her education in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district and obtained her engineering and MBA degrees in Bhubaneswar.
Hemant Soren's arrest sparked speculation that Kalpana would assume leadership. However, a family rift emerged, with his sister-in-law, Sita Soren, openly opposing any move to make Kalpana the chief minister. In response, Kalpana declared, "I have fought, and I will continue to fight! We have won, and we will win!" The BJP has been attacking Kalpana, claiming that Champai Soren is a "caretaker and puppet chief minister" while she is the "centre of power" in Jharkhand.
(With PTI inputs)
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