JMM Leaders, Jharkhand CM Champai Soren Meet Hemant In Jail To Discuss Poll Results

In the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won eight seats and its ally AJSU Party one, while JMM emerged victorious in three constituencies and the Congress in one.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren and senior JMM leaders including Assembly Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto met former CM Hemant Soren at Birsa Munda Central Jail here on Saturday.

Party sources said the JMM leaders discussed the Lok Sabha election results as well as the party's strategy in view of the Assembly polls which are due later this year.

Hemant Soren's wife Kalpana, who is a newly-elected MLA, was also in the team of JMM leaders. This is the first meeting of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leaders with the former CM after the Lok Sabha elections, a JMM leader said.

In the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won eight seats and its ally AJSU Party one, while JMM emerged victorious in three constituencies and the Congress in one.

Kalpana Soren won the Gandey assembly bypoll by 27,149 votes over her nearest BJP rival Dilip Kumar Verma. The seat had fallen vacant following the resignation of JMM MLA Sarfaraz Ahmad.

Hemant Soren was arrested by the ED on January 31 in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land fraud.

Attacking Champai Soren for meeting with the former CM in the prison, Jharkhand BJP spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo said, "This government is being run from jail secretariat and not the CM secretariat." Besides Champai and Kalpana, those who met Hemant Soren included MPs Joba Majhi, Vijay Hansdak and Assembly Speaker Mahto.

Leader of the BJP legislative party in the Jharkhand Assembly, Amar Kumar Bauri, said Mahto holds a constitutional post and it was against the dignity of that chair to consult a former chief minister on various matters.

Alleging that the Speaker campaigned for candidates during the Lok Sabha polls going against the practice, Bauri demanded Mahto's resignation.

Responding to the allegation, Mahto said it was a courtesy meeting with the former CM.

"I went there to enquire about his well-being. I have not met him ever since he was sent to jail," the Speaker said. 

(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)