JMM in Crisis: 3 Shocking Reasons Champai Soren May Join BJP

The major ruling alliance partner in Jharkhand state, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), is in severe turmoil since its senior-most leader and former chief minister, Champai Soren, has voiced his dissatisfaction with the party. This has led people to speculate that he might switch sides and join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Champai Soren revealed that he felt “humiliated” by the JMM and is now considering three options: resigning from politics, entering the political arena through a new ticket, or joining a different party.

The recent statement by Champai Soren has prompted a rebuttal from the incumbent Hemant Soren, the current Chief Minister of Jharkhand. He criticized the BJP for attempting to “fence in” the MLAs and “split” society. Representing Indian Society for Social Awareness, the PTI news agency quoted him as saying this as he was giving a speech at an event in Godda: “The BJP uses money power to influence political parties and politicians, and it can be done easily,” Hemant Soren said.

JMM ’s Reaction  to Champai Soren’s Discontent

Champai Soren’s dissatisfaction with the JMM started to show when he posted on social media, stating that all his programs arranged for July 3, 2016, were canceled. He complained that there was no one in the party with whom he could discuss issues bothering him, as the JMM has not conducted its central executive meeting for several years. Champai, who is one of the oldest in the party, mentioned that when it comes to SP, there is no one above him in the party hierarchy other than JMM supremo Shibu Soren, who has since retired from active politics due to health complications. With this, he explained that he was left with almost no choice.

In return, Hemant Soren remarked that the next Assembly elections in Jharkhand would not be controlled by the Election Commission but by the BJP. He added that the Election Commission is no longer an independent institution since it has been ‘captured’ by the BJP. In one instance, Hemant Soren boldly declared that if there were elections today, the BJP would cease to exist in Jharkhand.

BJP’s Interest in Champai Soren

Furthermore, there are sources inside the BJP stating that there have been discussions regarding the future of Champai Soren. However, some people argue that his public criticism of the JMM may be a tactic to buy time. As of now, the BJP has a number of important leaders in Jharkhand, including three former CMs, and therefore, it remains ambiguous as to what capacity Champai would be needed if he were to join the BJP. However, sources within the BJP indicate that attempts continue to be made to bring Champai into the fold.

Further fanning the speculations, Champai Soren recently went to Delhi after momentarily visiting Kolkata. Despite having stated that he never met Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari and was only vacationing, the timing is suspect. Whatever cross-voting is expected to take place is likely to happen within the JMM, and insiders expect Champai to cross over to the BJP, though the JMM is still trying to dissuade him.

There are speculations that the discord between Champai Soren and the JMM started recently when the party rejected his demand to field his son to contest the forthcoming Assembly elections for the Ghatshila seat. The JMM leadership believes that Champai is planning to find pretexts to withdraw from the party and informed that he has already met BJP leaders in Kolkata. The conflict is ongoing, and there is little hope for it to be easily resolved.

Political Tensions Rise Ahead of Elections

Clashes have been brewing in the JMM since early July when Champai Soren was removed as Chief Minister. Consequently, reports suggest that Champai was reluctant to quit, especially with the Assembly elections approaching. He was disappointed to be replaced, especially since this would be interpreted by voters as a defeat at a time when the government was experiencing some problems, including efforts by the BJP to overthrow it.

The JMM’s discord has not gone unnoticed by BJP leaders, yet there is no indication that the latter has tried to hide it. Recently, Jharkhand BJP chief Babulal Marandi openly described some of the tribal leaders within the JMM who are not from the Shibu Soren family as “ad hoc leaders” who are loyal to the Soren family. This statement was interpreted as a bid by the BJP leadership to widen the splits within the JMM’s ranks.

The JMM knows well that to translate its edge in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly into electoral victory, it has to put up a vigorous campaign. At present, the party has 47 MLAs (Members of the Legislative Assembly) in the INDIA bloc, of which 30 are from the JMM. However, the BJP and its three legislators are looking to capitalize on the JMM’s internal conflicts, which have divided the anti-INC alliance. There are also speculations that Kharsawan MLA Dasrath Gagrai is planning to join the BJP, but he has refuted these claims. He remains committed to his political party, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), and its leader Shibu Soren. He stressed that he would never betray the voters of JMM by switching to the BJP. Yet, the JMM continues to be one of the dominant players in Jharkhand politics; how well it will be able to keep its flock together in the coming months remains to be seen