Jharkhand Crisis: As Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren faces the sword of arrest in an alleged money laundering case, the speculations are rife that his wife Kalpana Soren might take over the top post. The Enforcement Directorate is set to interrogate CM Soren at 1 PM on Wednesday at the CM's office.


On Tuesday, Soren convened two consecutive meetings, with his wife Kalpana joining the first one. Subsequently, a legislative party meeting was called, attended by 43 legislators, with four absentees, including Sita Soren, Ramdas Soren, Chamra Linda, and Lobin Hembram – all belonging to the JMM party.


According to news agency PTI, the MLAs reportedly signed a letter of support without any name as speculations are rife that the chief minister's wife Kalpana Soren will be handed over the reins in the event of his arrest.


Who Is Kalpana Soren ?



  • Kalpana Soren, the wife of Hemant Soren, originally hails from Odisha's Mayurbhanj district. She does not have any political background.

  • Kalpana and Hemant Soren got married on February 7, 2006 and the couple have two children -- Nikhil and Ansh. 

  • According to a Hindustan Times report, Kalpana is involved in business and charity work. Her father is a businessman and her mother is a homemaker.

  • According to media reports, Kalpana Soren runs a school and is involved in organic farming. Born in Ranchi in 1946, Kalpana studied engineering and MBA.

  • Kalpana Soren is not an MLA and for her to take over as CM of Jharkhand a present MLA to vacate his or her seat. 

  • Bharatiya Janata Party's Nishikant Dubey, Hemant's brother Basant Soren, and sister-in-law Sita Soren did not agree to the proposal of Kalpana becoming the CM.

  • Basant Soren, brother of Hemant, however, denied any family rift and said the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha family is united and rifts happen in Nishikant Dubey's family only, as per the Hindustan Times report.

  • Dubey claimed that at least 35 MLAs were there at the JMM meeting on Tuesday where the proposal to make Kalpana Soren the next chief minister was discussed.

  • According to ABP News sources, a plan B was discussed in the meeting. If the Enforcement Directorate arrested CM Hemant Soren, the focus was on the government's course of action in that scenario. The meeting extended for two hours.

  • Soren had left for New Delhi on January 27 night. Amid suspense about his whereabouts, he reached his official residence in Ranchi on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, as reported by news agency PTI.