'Have three options before me', Champai Soren breaks silence amid buzz of switch

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren on Sunday broke his silence on the ‘affront and insult’ he was subjected to within the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), and narrated a few incidents which forced him to rethink his association with the party he served whole of his life. 

Champai Soren, once a close aide of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, was left devastated when his decisions were overturned by some party workers and his programmes as CM were cancelled at the behest of some ‘overpowering’ figure in JMM.

Champai Soren took to X on Sunday and made some shocking revelations on how he was slighted and subjected to ridicule in the party, and what made him ‘dissociate’ from party affairs and chart his own course.

His revelations, coming in the wake of strong buzz over a possible switchover to BJP, only goes to show how the family-led party 'prevailed' over the CM’s Chair in Jharkhand.

Recalling a legislative party meet, Champai Soren said, “The Chief Minister has the mandate to call a legislative party meeting but the irony is that I wasn’t even aware of the agenda of the meet despite being at the helm. I was directed to submit my resignation (after Hemant Soren’s release from jail). I was aghast and shocked at such directive coming from people with no authority. As I didn’t have any attachment to the Chair, I quickly tendered my resignation.”

"However, the incident deeply hurt me and my self-respect," he added.

“For the past three days, I have been slighted and snubbed by the JMM leadership. Despite dedicating my entire life for the party, I am being treated like a baggage,” he said.  

The senior leader also said that he was heartbroken over the episode but couldn’t turn to anyone as the party supremo (Shibu Soren, Hemant Soren's father) is no longer active in politics.

“I was very hurt but didn’t share my pain with anyone. There are many instances when some people intentionally put me down and tried to belittle my contributions. I am forced to look for places where I can find my self-respect," he said.  

Champai Soren also wrote that it was after the legislative party meet that he decided his future course of action.

“I told the meeting that I will shut my past and turn a new page in my life. I have three options before me -- retiring from politics, floating a new outfit, or uniting with an ally with similar interests. All three options will remain open before me till the day when Jharkhand goes to the polls,” he concluded the post.

Rumours of the former Jharkhand CM joining the BJP gained further momentum after Champai Soren along with four other JMM leaders landed in Delhi on Sunday. 

While the visit ignited fresh talks of his likely defection from Hemant Soren’s party, when questioned by scribes about a possible switch, Champai Soren said, "I am here for some personal work."

He also dropped JMM from his X bio on Sunday.

--IANS

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