Hemant Soren’s wife may take over as Jharkhand CM if he's arrested

Ranchi: Speculation are rife that Hemant Soren will resign as Jharkhand Chief Minister and his wife Kalpana Soren will take over after Sarfaraz Ahmed, an MLA of the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), resigned, reportedly to pave the way for Soren’s wife to contest elections.

Hemant Soren, who is facing charges in the land scam case in Ranchi, has reportedly not replied to ED’s seventh and last summon till the deadline of December 31, 2023.

The ED can now seek a warrant from the court for the arrest of Soren, citing non-cooperation in the investigation.

There is a buzz that after his arrest, the ruling coalition may choose his wife Kalpana Soren as its new leader and she may be sworn-in as the new Chief Minister of the state.

The resignation of Sarfaraz Ahmed, the JMM MLA from Gandey, is being considered as part of a well-thought-out strategy, so that Kalpana Soren can contest the elections from the seat vacated by him.

Sarfaraz Ahmed resigned on December 31, and the Speaker accepted his resignation with immediate effect.

According to the constitutional provisions, if the ruling party or coalition chooses any non-MLA as its leader, there will be no immediate hindrance in his/her becoming the CM, but it will be mandatory for him/her to become an MLA within six months.

Reacting to the developments, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey tweeted, “MLA Sarfaraz Ahmed resigned from the Assembly. Resignation accepted. Hemant Soren ji will resign from the post of Chief Minister. The next Chief Minister of Jharkhand will be his wife Kalpana Soren ji.”

Jharkhand politician and independent MLA from Jamshedpur East, Saryu Roy, also wrote on X, “It is pure speculation. It is likely to happen soon. If there is a change of government in Jharkhand, the Gandey Assembly seat in Giridih district will be vacant for a newcomer. Gentleman from Gandey will grace the Rajya Sabha.”

If political experts are to be believed, such social media posts by senior politicians like Nishikant Dubey and Saryu Roy should not be considered as mere speculation.

The ED, which is investigating the land scam case in Ranchi, had sent summons to Hemant Soren for the seventh time on December 29.

Terming it as the last summon, the agency had asked him to record his statement within seven days. In the letter, the ED had said that he should inform by December 31 about a place and time when his statement can be recorded.