Champai Soren is a name synonymous with the foundation of the state of Jharkhand. The veteran tribal politician is contesting for a seat in the state’s Saraikela district.
This region has had one constant representative in the state assembly since the year 2005–Champai Soren.
He has won the seat six times as an MLA, twice in the erstwhile southern area of Bihar–now the state of Jharkhand, and four times in the current state.
Champai Soren: Defending champion of Saraikela
This constituency has come at the forefront of the Jharkhand elections, with Soren battling it against his former party–the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.
“Every day several vehicles come to the village asking for Champai Soren’s house. After Champai Da became CM, people have taken a special interest in our village,” Laxman Soren, a 32-year- old farmer, told ET in Jilinggora, the native village of Champai Soren.
While Soren is the BJP candidate this time, JMM is being represented in the constituency by Ganesh Mahli.
With results to be announced today, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is eyeing Champai Soren as a key player to end its losing streak in the Kolhan region.
The Saffron party had failed to win a single seat in the region during the 2019 assembly elections, and is banking on Soren’s influence to turn the tide in its favor.
For many voters in Kolhan, particularly tribal communities, Soren’s legacy is deeply intertwined with his work and leadership.
“Champai Soren and JMM were weaved together. This is the first time we will have to choose between either JMM or Champai Soren,” said Dilip Soren, a villager from the region.
The shift in allegiances is significant, as Soren’s son, Babulal Soren, who is contesting from Ghatshila on a BJP ticket explained.
“Not only Saraikela but the people of Kolhan are not going to let the Tiger down,” said Babulal Soren.
Champai Soren, a prominent tribal leader, has held sway over Kolhan for decades. His influence is especially strong in constituencies reserved for Scheduled Tribes, where tribal and other backward class voters play a decisive role.
Soren’s political journey has seen his steadfast dedication to the region’s development during his long-standing association with the JMM, a party he was a part of until his departure earlier this year.
In August, after resigning from the JMM, Soren considered launching a new political party.
However, on August 30, he had joined forces with the BJP, securing a position within the state’s political framework.
Soren’s political career has been long and storied. The 67-year-old tribal leader has earned the title of ‘Jharkhand’s Tiger’ due to his role in the state’s long struggle for a separate identity in the 1990s, which culminated in the formation of Jharkhand in 2000.
From ‘undivided’ Bihar to Jharkhand
Soren’s entry into politics began in 1991 when he was elected as an Independent MLA from the Saraikela constituency in undivided Bihar.
Four years later, he joined the JMM, where he defeated the BJP’s Panchu Tudu. However, his journey was not without setbacks.
He lost the 2000 elections from Saraikela to BJP’s Anant Ram Tudu but regained his seat in 2005 after a narrow victory margin of just 880 votes. Soren went on to win the seat again in 2009, 2014, and 2019, solidifying his political presence.
In 2019, when his son Hemant Soren formed the state’s government for the second time, Champai Soren was appointed as the Minister for Food and Civil Supplies and Transport.
However, tensions within the JMM began to mount, and Soren expressed feelings of “bitter humiliation” as chief minister.
He claimed that the abrupt cancellation of government programs without consultation left him with little choice but to explore new political avenues.
His subsequent resignation as chief minister earlier this year paved the way for Hemant Soren to reclaim the position for a third term.
Despite this political shift, Champai Soren’s status as a key tribal leader remains undeniable.
