'Not Taken by Surprise': Jharkhand BJP Chief Babulal Marandi Welcomes Champai Soren's Induction | Exclusive

Less than 24 hours after the announcement that Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Champai Soren will join the Bharatiya Janata Party on August 30, state BJP chief Babulal Marandi reached the national capital and had a one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Soon after, Marandi told CNN-News18 that there was no difference of thought that Soren would be a welcome addition to the party’s fortunes in the state. “This decision has not come to me as a surprise at all, because all of us have been discussing for the past few weeks how to strengthen the party. We have unanimously made a decision to welcome Champai Soren into the party,” he said.

But if sources are to be believed then the central leadership is well aware of the ripple effect the move might have on the politics of the state. That’s why the arrival of Babulal Marandi in the national capital is not a coincidence, they said. Voices of dissent had already begun to emerge from the BJP state unit. Observers believe that to maintain his dominance in the Santhal areas, Champai did not allow any other JMM leader to prosper in the region.

Sources also say that Marandi has been asked to communicate to BJP state leaders that their interests will be taken care of and that at this point only Champai Soren and his son will join the party.

Earlier Marandi and other state BJP leaders had proposed that instead of making him join the BJP, Champai Soren should be asked to float his own party and contest the upcoming assembly elections separately. Since Soren has significant influence on tribal votes, through his party, he would be able to make it a triangular fight with the BJP and JMM, and play the role of a “vote-cutter”. But apparently Champai Soren was not very keen. The Jharkhand assembly elections are close, and in such a short time, he felt, it would be difficult to set up a new party, strengthen its organisation, and go to elections.

Marandi as well as state election in-charge union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma have rubbished all reports of a section of the BJP being upset about Champai Soren’s induction. “I do not know what news is floating around and what rumours are being spread, but I can tell you with conviction that we have taken a collective decision,” Marandi said.

Champai Soren has been associated with JMM since its inception and is said to be a very close aide of its founder Shibu Soren. Apart from this, he can easily help turn around the fortunes of the saffron party in the tribal belt of Jharkhand where he is a prominent leader, sources say.

However, in many other states, especially Maharashtra, the joining of big leaders did not bring about a transfer of votes to the BJP, and that has been a cause of worry for many within the party. Marandi is sure that it won’t be the same case in Jharkhand. “People like him (Champai) and several others who actively participated in the movement for Jharkhand feel completely disillusioned and betrayed. After coming to power Hemant Soren had turned that entire movement into a government of scams like liquor, land mafia, and sand mafia amongst others. The tribals of the state have seen the true face of the Hemant administration. A few days ago, his own sister-in-law, Sita Soren, quit the party, and many more will follow in the days to come,” Marandi said.

Champai Soren, one of the most senior leaders in the JMM, was sworn in as the chief minister of Jharkhand in February after incumbent CM Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate. Champai Soren was then made to step down in July once Hemant Soren was out of jail and reinstated. Since then, he had been expressing his displeasure with the JMM and opened up his communication lines with the BJP leadership, especially Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.