As former Jharkhand chief minister Champai Soren, the veteran JMM leader who quit the party, is set to join the BJP on Friday, the JMM-Congress-RJD-CPI(ML) ruling coalition in the state is adopting a cautious approach to deal with the potential fallout of the influential tribal leader’s angry exit.
A section of the coalition said the immediate task is to ensure that Soren’s exit does not destabilise the JMM-led government of CM Hemant Soren ahead of the assembly election in the state, expected by October-November.
The JMM and Congress camps exuded confidence, claiming Champai Soren would not be able to trigger a large-scale exodus of JMM MLAs before the polls and that the ruling coalition has sufficient numbers to be comfortably placed in the assembly.
Still, they expect some disgruntled and suspended JMM functionaries, including a suspended MLA, to make use of the new opportunities. The Congress leadership is also keeping a close eye on some restive elements, including a few party MLAs.
However, many leaders in the ruling coalition consider the long-term task of the JMM guarding against the electoral impact of Champai Soren in crucial areas, especially his stronghold of Kolhan and across the Santhal Pargana belt, as a far more delicate task.
“The JMM-Congress-RJD-CPI (ML) alliance is united and we will fight the elections together,” said a senior leader of the coalition, who did not wish to be identified. “While we stood by Hemant Soren ji when he was in Jail, and backed his decision to return as CM (by replacing Champai), now it will be up to Hemant ji to guard his party base from the Champai Soren-BJP moves.”
Some said that when Hemant Soren-led JMM managed to withstand a rift within the family – when Shibu Soren’s daughter-in-law Sita Soren quit the party and joined the BJP (she lost the Lok Sabha election) – the party would similarly fight back after Champai Soren’s rebellion as well.
Others, however, pointed out that, unlike Sita, Champai is an entrenched politician. While the JMM-led government is banking on Hemant Soren triggering a sympathy wave among tribals over his recent arrest and jailing, some are cautious given how another jailed INDIA bloc CM, Arvind Kejriwal of AAP, failed to stir up any sympathy in Delhi during the general election.
