Jalpaiguri Chief Minister Hemant Soren turned up in Ranchi today. The BJP had branded him "missing" after Enforcement Directorate (ED) agents were unable to find him for more than 24 hours. Mr. Soren departed his Ranchi home today to meet with MLAs from the Jharkhand government coalition. He was last spotted in Delhi on Sunday night. When the media questioned him following his meeting with MLAs, he replied, "I will tell you everything soon."
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader has made a reappearance in the midst of hectic political happenings in Ranchi and Delhi. In an attempt to quiz him about money laundering, ED agents had gone to his Delhi house yesterday, but they were unable to find him. A BMW and ₹ 36 lakh in cash were taken by the agency, but Mr. Soren was nowhere to be found in his Delhi residences or at Jharkhand Bhavan. The jet that he took on a charter flight from Ranchi to Delhi was still parked at the airport.
In the middle of things, the BJP began to say that the chief minister was "on the run". In an advertisement, State BJP Chief Babulal Marandi also asked for information regarding Mr. Soren and offered a ₹ 11,000 cash reward for any reliable leads. But the JMM insisted that they communicate with the Chief Minister. The BJP's "missing" claim, according to JMM ally Congress, is part of a plot to set up conditions for the imposition of President's control in the state. It was said by Governor CP Radhakrishnan that he is closely monitoring the issue. "The Governor is supposed to do this, and I am doing it. "No one is above the law," he told reporters, adding, "and we will cross the bridge when it comes."
As for the ruling alliance, which consists of the JMM, Congress, and RJD, all of its MLAs have been ordered to remain in Ranchi, which has led to conjecture about what will happen next. Dr. Nishikant Dubey, a Jharkhand leader and BJP MP, has claimed that plans are in motion to appoint Mr. Soren's wife Kalpana as Chief Minister. "JMM, Congress, and associated MLAs, along with Hemant Soren ji, have been invited to come to Ranchi with their bags and luggage. In a post on X, he asserted that there is a plan to name Hemant Soren's wife, Kalpana Soren ji, as Chief Minister.
