'Deeply Distressing': Himanta Biswa Says As CM Champai Soren Steps Down To Make Way For Hemant

Assam CM Himanta Biswa said that the removal of Champai Soren as from the post of Jharkhand Chief Minister was "deeply distressing".

Describing the possible replacement of Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren, who resigned today, with Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief Hemant Soren, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday recated to the reports, calling it ''deeply distressing''.  

Soren is set to replace former Chief Minister Champai Soren, who had assumed office when the former was jailed for nearly seven months, in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam.      

''The removal of a senior tribal leader from the post of Chief Minister in Jharkhand by the JMM and Congress party is deeply distressing,'' Sarma who is the co-in charge of Jharkhand posted on X.  

Sarma also stated that he was certain that the people of Jharkhand will strongly condemn this action and firmly reject it.  

The JMM and Congress are constituents of the ruling coalition in Jharkhand.

The Assam CM has visited the state multiple times since the Lok Sabha elections and interacted with senior BJP leaders during meetings over the forthcoming assembly elections.  

The decision was taken by the leaders and MLAs of the alliance government during a meeting at Chief Minister Champai Soren’s residence, who unanimously elected Hemant Soren as JMM legislature party leader, PTI reported.

Besides Hemant Soren's brother Basant and wife Kalpana, Congress's Jharkhand in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir and its state president Rajesh Thakur also attended the meeting.

The Jharkhand Cabinet at present has a strength of 10 against 12 berths. On February 16, eight MLAs were inducted in the cabinet after three others were inducted on February 2, including Champai Soren.

Champai, a loyalist of Hemant and a close associate of the former Jharkhand CM's father Shibu Soren, assumed charge as CM on February 2. Hemant Soren had resigned from his post minutes before his arrest on January 31, earlier this year.