Tag: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha

  • ED opposes JMM leader Hemant Soren’s interim bail plea in SC

    New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate opposed in the Supreme Court on Monday former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren’s plea seeking interim bail in a money-laundering case linked to an alleged land scam to campaign in the Lok Sabha polls. In its affidavit filed in the top court on Soren’s plea against his arrest and for interim bail, the probe agency said the materials on record establish that the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader was involved in the acquisition and possession of properties in an illegal manner which are proceeds of crime. A vacation bench headed by Justice Dipankar Datta is scheduled to hear Soren’s plea against his arrest and interim bail on Tuesday. “Various Statements recorded under section 50 of PMLA, 2002, which establish that property admeasuring 8.86 acres, situated at Shanti Nagar, Near Lalu Khatal, Bariyatu is under illegal acquisition, possession and use of Hemant Soren and the same has been done in a camouflaged and concealed manner,” the agency said. Opposing the interim bail of Soren for campaigning during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, the ED said, “It is relevant to note that the right to campaign for an election is neither a fundamental right nor a constitutional right and not even a legal right.” AllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther StatesThe probe agency said that there is an active attempt on Soren’s part to subvert the investigation by misusing state machinery and project the proceeds of crime as “untainted through his stooges”. Soren was arrested on January 31 in the money-laundering case linked to the alleged land scam after he resigned as the Jharkhand chief minister. He has challenged a May 3 order of the Jharkhand High Court that dismissed his petition against his arrest by the ED. He has also sought interim bail for campaigning in the Lok Sabha polls till the court delivers its verdict on his plea against his arrest.

    On May 13, referring to the top court’s recent order in a money-laundering case involving Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Soren sought interim bail for campaigning in the election.

  • Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren Chairs Meeting With MLAs; BJP Alleges Plan To Make Kalpna Soren CM |

    Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren sprung a surprise by making a sudden appearance after going missing for a day when the Enforcement Directorate was at his residence on Monday. While the CM chaired a meeting of his MLAs in Ranchi, the BJP again reiterated the claim that Soren is planning to make his wife Kalpana Soren CM of the state in case he was arrested by the ED. Meanwhile, Soren’s party Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) slammed the BJP for demeaning the CM office. The party said that CM Soren was not missing and was in Delhi for some personal work.

    BJP leader Nishikant Dubey again claimed that CM Soren had called a meeting of JMM, Congress and other supporting MLAs in Ranchi to make Kalpana Soren CM of the state. “According to the current information, MLA Sita Soren and MLA Basant Soren have refused to accept Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s wife Kalpana Soren or other MLAs as the Chief Minister. Both the MLAs are absent from the legislature party meeting being held in Ranchi,” claimed Dubey.

    वर्तमान सूचना के अनुसार विधायक सीता सोरेन जी व विधायक बसंत सोरेन जी ने मुख्यमंत्री हेमंत सोरेन जी की पत्नी कल्पना सोरेन जी या अन्य विधायक को मुख्यमंत्री मानने से इंकार कर दिया है ।दोनों विधायक राँची में हो रही विधायक दल की बैठक से अनुपस्थित हैं https://t.co/2geaOQxmHA
    — Dr Nishikant Dubey (@nishikant_dubey) January 30, 2024

    On the other hand, Chief Minister Hemant Soren chaired a meeting with ministers of his ruling coalition today amid allegations by the BJP that the JMM chief was “absconding” to avoid the Enforcement Directorate’s probe into an alleged land scam case. The chief of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) was seen coming out of his residence in Ranchi today ahead of the meeting. The Chief Minister’s Office in Jharkhand released pictures of Soren’s meeting with alliance party leaders today.

    मुख्यमंत्री आवास में मुख्यमंत्री श्री @HemantSorenJMM की अध्यक्षता में सत्ता पक्ष के मंत्री और विधायक गणों की बैठक शुरू। pic.twitter.com/Un8UPs3x6k
    — Office of Chief Minister, Jharkhand (@JharkhandCMO) January 30, 2024

    On Monday, the Enforcement Directorate officials visited Soren’s residence in Delhi for an inquiry. During the visit, the central agency confiscated two cars and Rs 36 lakh, but JMM leader Soren was not found.

    Sources reveal that the ED has issued a new summons to Soren, requesting his presence for questioning on either January 29 or 31. Alternatively, the agency has indicated that it will conduct the questioning at his location if he fails to appear. Notably, this marks the tenth summons issued to the Jharkhand Chief Minister by the ED.

    In response, Soren has communicated to the Enforcement Directorate, expressing his intention to provide his statement at 1 pm on Wednesday, January 31, at his residence in Ranchi. The Jharkhand Chief Minister contends that the timing of the inquiry appears to be politically motivated, aimed at disrupting the functioning of his government.

  • Can Hemant Soren Make His Wife Kalpana CM Of Jharkhand? Check What Laws Say |

    Months ahead of Jharkhand assembly polls, a big political turmoil is being seen in the state. Ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MLA Sarfaraz Ahmad, a three-time MLA, resigned unexpectedly from his Gandey constituency leaving the rumour mills abuzz. Ahmed, who had been twice elected to the state assembly from the Congress in the past, switched over to the JMM ahead of the 2019 assembly elections and won his home constituency of Gandey, his third assembly win.

    Some of the Soren family members are MLAs in the Jharkhand assembly including his brother Basant Sore from the Dumka seat and sister-in-law Sita Murmu or Sita Soren from the Jama seat. However, given the alleged family feud and ongoing Enforcement Directorate investigation, CM Heman Soren may install his wife as the Chief Minister, claimed BJP MP Nishikant Dubey. 

    However, since Hemant Soren’s wife Kalpana is not a member of the Jharkhand assembly, is it possible for her to become the Chief Minister? As per the law, any person who is made a Chief Minister or even a minister gets six months to get elected to the concerned assembly. So, if Dubey’s claim is believed, Kalpana Soren will have six months to get elected to the Jharkhand assembly and since there is one vacant seat – the Gandey constituency, she may contest the election from there. The Election Commission will have to hold a bypoll within six months. The Jharkhand assembly elections will be held around November-December this year which is still 11 months away.

    Since Jharkhand does not have a bicameral legislative structure, Kalpana will have no other option than contesting the bypoll. In a bicameral legislature, a person can get elected to the house through the Legislative council just like Akhilesh Yadav or Yogi Adityanath did during their first tenure as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

    मुख्यमंत्री हेमंत सोरेन जी परेशान,उनके सचिव चौबे जी से लेकर महाधिवक्ता मिश्रा जी गांडेय उप चुनाव कराने के लिए परेशान,विधायक दल की बैठक कल ,राज्यपाल के पास अपना इस्तीफ़ा व कल्पना सोरेन जी को विधायक दल का नेता बनाने वाला पत्र राज्यपाल महोदय को एक साथ देने की तैयारी @CPRGuv झारखंड…
    — Dr Nishikant Dubey (@nishikant_dubey) January 2, 2024

    In a post on X, Dubey said that Chief Minister Hemant Soren is worried and his entire team is worried about the Gandey bypolls. Dubey said that the key meeting of the JMM Legislative Party may take place tomorrow and after the meeting, a letter to the Governor with CM Soren’s resignation and making Kalpana Soren the leader of the Legislative Party will be submitted. Dubey urged the Jharkhand governor to take any decision after legal advice.

  • Hemant Soren: From Jharkhand’s youngest CM to a seasoned politician

    By PTI

    RANCHI: In the midst of a political storm, Chief Minister Hemant Soren who may well lose his seat in Jharkhand’s Assembly has had a chequered career.

    Not the first choice of his father Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) supremo Shibu Soren for inheriting his political legacy, Hemant Soren was groomed in politics after his elder brother Durga Soren died of suspected kidney failure in 2009.

    He is currently in the eye of the storm in the wake of a crisis situation in Jharkhand where a threat to Hemant Soren being “disqualified” as an MLA has arisen.

    On Friday, Soren lashed out at the Centre for “unleashing” all constitutional agencies to “de-stabilise a democratically elected government”, saying all “satanic forces” were all out to execute evil designs.

    Born to Shibu Soren and wife Roopi on August 10, 1975 at Nemra village near Hazaribag, he did his intermediate from Patna High School and later joined Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra in Ranchi, but dropped out.

    ALSO READ | Jharkhand crisis: CM Hemant Soren, ruling MLAs leave for unknown destination in three buses

    He likes badminton, books and bicycles.

    Hemant and wife Kalpana have two children.

    He went on to become a Rajya Sabha member in 2009-2010, before becoming Jharkhand’s youngest chief minister in 2013, with the support of the Congress and the RJD.

    Soren had resigned from the Upper House to take up the post of deputy chief minister in the BJP-led Arjun Munda regime.

    But two years later, the BJP-JMM bonhomie collapsed and president’s rule was imposed in the state.

    His first stint as CM was, however, short-lived as the BJP seized power in 2014 in the politically unstable state and Raghubar Das took charge.

    In 2014, he won a seat in the Jharkhand assembly and became the leader of the opposition.

    Cornered during the 2014-19 period, with the saffron party accusing him and his family of violating the Chhotanagpur Tenancy Act and Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act, Soren took time but patiently overcame the challenge and formed pre-poll alliance with old friends – the Congress and the RJD.

    With support from his allies, Soren stormed to power in 2019, as his party (JMM) alone won 30 Assembly seats, its highest tally ever.

    During his political ascendency, Soren was able to sideline senior leaders of the JMM, Stephen Marandi, Simon Marandi and Hemlal Murmu, prompting them to quit the party.

    While Murmu and Simon Marandi joined the BJP, Stephen Marandi floated a party along with the first BJP chief minister of the state, Babulal Marandi.

    Stephen had later returned to the JMM fold, accepting Hemant Soren as the party’s leader.

    Soren has been widely credited with launching innovative schemes that include ‘Apke Adhikar, Apki Sarkar, Apke Dwar’ (your rights, your government at your doorstep).

    He also announced a cashback of Rs 25 per litre on petrol for the poor and lower-middle-class two-wheeler users starting January 26 this year.

    A few days ago, he announced expanding overseas scholarships for talented youth of the state to fulfil their dreams of pursuing higher studies abroad.

    The state Cabinet earlier this week gave its nod for creation of 50,000 posts of teachers.

    READ HERE | Illegal mining case: EC favours disqualification of Jharkhand CM as MLA, says Raj Bhavan sources

    Active on social media, Soren has been voicing not only grievances against the Centre that included ‘apathy towards state in alloting vaccines’ and ‘Central firms owing huge Rs 1.36 lakh crore to the state’ but has also been directing officials to resolve peoples’ complaints.

    Jharkhand was the first state to have airlifted trapped migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    In December, he went all guns blazing on the BJP and said that his government was forced to enact anti-mob lynching legislation after the “Ravana” party came to power at Centre, “ruining the social fabric” of the country.

    In a setback to Soren, the BJP in February this year alleged that Soren, while heading the mining department, allotted a stone chips mining lease to himself in 2021 in Ranchi’s Argora area, by flouting norms.

    The BJP accused Soren of allocating a mining lease to himself and close aides, including political advisor Pankaj Mishra.

    Mishra is in judicial custody after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him following raids conducted to unearth alleged illegal mining in the state.

    In April, Advocate General Rajiv Ranjan told the Jharkhand High Court that the state government had committed “a mistake” and the lease awarded to Soren had been surrendered.

    RANCHI: In the midst of a political storm, Chief Minister Hemant Soren who may well lose his seat in Jharkhand’s Assembly has had a chequered career.

    Not the first choice of his father Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) supremo Shibu Soren for inheriting his political legacy, Hemant Soren was groomed in politics after his elder brother Durga Soren died of suspected kidney failure in 2009.

    He is currently in the eye of the storm in the wake of a crisis situation in Jharkhand where a threat to Hemant Soren being “disqualified” as an MLA has arisen.

    On Friday, Soren lashed out at the Centre for “unleashing” all constitutional agencies to “de-stabilise a democratically elected government”, saying all “satanic forces” were all out to execute evil designs.

    Born to Shibu Soren and wife Roopi on August 10, 1975 at Nemra village near Hazaribag, he did his intermediate from Patna High School and later joined Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra in Ranchi, but dropped out.

    ALSO READ | Jharkhand crisis: CM Hemant Soren, ruling MLAs leave for unknown destination in three buses

    He likes badminton, books and bicycles.

    Hemant and wife Kalpana have two children.

    He went on to become a Rajya Sabha member in 2009-2010, before becoming Jharkhand’s youngest chief minister in 2013, with the support of the Congress and the RJD.

    Soren had resigned from the Upper House to take up the post of deputy chief minister in the BJP-led Arjun Munda regime.

    But two years later, the BJP-JMM bonhomie collapsed and president’s rule was imposed in the state.

    His first stint as CM was, however, short-lived as the BJP seized power in 2014 in the politically unstable state and Raghubar Das took charge.

    In 2014, he won a seat in the Jharkhand assembly and became the leader of the opposition.

    Cornered during the 2014-19 period, with the saffron party accusing him and his family of violating the Chhotanagpur Tenancy Act and Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act, Soren took time but patiently overcame the challenge and formed pre-poll alliance with old friends – the Congress and the RJD.

    With support from his allies, Soren stormed to power in 2019, as his party (JMM) alone won 30 Assembly seats, its highest tally ever.

    During his political ascendency, Soren was able to sideline senior leaders of the JMM, Stephen Marandi, Simon Marandi and Hemlal Murmu, prompting them to quit the party.

    While Murmu and Simon Marandi joined the BJP, Stephen Marandi floated a party along with the first BJP chief minister of the state, Babulal Marandi.

    Stephen had later returned to the JMM fold, accepting Hemant Soren as the party’s leader.

    Soren has been widely credited with launching innovative schemes that include ‘Apke Adhikar, Apki Sarkar, Apke Dwar’ (your rights, your government at your doorstep).

    He also announced a cashback of Rs 25 per litre on petrol for the poor and lower-middle-class two-wheeler users starting January 26 this year.

    A few days ago, he announced expanding overseas scholarships for talented youth of the state to fulfil their dreams of pursuing higher studies abroad.

    The state Cabinet earlier this week gave its nod for creation of 50,000 posts of teachers.

    READ HERE | Illegal mining case: EC favours disqualification of Jharkhand CM as MLA, says Raj Bhavan sources

    Active on social media, Soren has been voicing not only grievances against the Centre that included ‘apathy towards state in alloting vaccines’ and ‘Central firms owing huge Rs 1.36 lakh crore to the state’ but has also been directing officials to resolve peoples’ complaints.

    Jharkhand was the first state to have airlifted trapped migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    In December, he went all guns blazing on the BJP and said that his government was forced to enact anti-mob lynching legislation after the “Ravana” party came to power at Centre, “ruining the social fabric” of the country.

    In a setback to Soren, the BJP in February this year alleged that Soren, while heading the mining department, allotted a stone chips mining lease to himself in 2021 in Ranchi’s Argora area, by flouting norms.

    The BJP accused Soren of allocating a mining lease to himself and close aides, including political advisor Pankaj Mishra.

    Mishra is in judicial custody after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him following raids conducted to unearth alleged illegal mining in the state.

    In April, Advocate General Rajiv Ranjan told the Jharkhand High Court that the state government had committed “a mistake” and the lease awarded to Soren had been surrendered.

  • Jharkhand: 16 BJP MLAs are in their contact seeking their consent to join the party, claims JMM

    Express News Service

    RANCHI: Amid speculation rife over possible political realignment in Jharkhand, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Monday claimed that 16 of the BJP MLAs are in their contact and have requested the party leadership to include them in the party.

    JMM General Secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya told that dissatisfied with the self-proclaimed legislative party leader Babulal Marandi and the party’s working style in Jharkhand, 16 of the BJP MLAs have requested JMM to include them in the party.

    “Some of the BJP MLAs, having expertise in executing exercises like Maharashtra, told us that they would form a group to switch the party. JMM is thinking about it seriously, if they want to support us we will definitely welcome them,” Bhattacharya said.

    Notably, all these developments are taking place at the time when Soren and his associates are facing legal trouble, both in the Jharkhand High Court and the Election Commission of India, over the charges of corruption and misuse of power.

    The BJP has already moved a plea before the Election Commission seeking his disqualification for alleged irregularities in the grant of mining leases and also on transactions of some shell companies purportedly operated by his family members and associates.

    RANCHI: Amid speculation rife over possible political realignment in Jharkhand, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Monday claimed that 16 of the BJP MLAs are in their contact and have requested the party leadership to include them in the party.

    JMM General Secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya told that dissatisfied with the self-proclaimed legislative party leader Babulal Marandi and the party’s working style in Jharkhand, 16 of the BJP MLAs have requested JMM to include them in the party.

    “Some of the BJP MLAs, having expertise in executing exercises like Maharashtra, told us that they would form a group to switch the party. JMM is thinking about it seriously, if they want to support us we will definitely welcome them,” Bhattacharya said.

    Notably, all these developments are taking place at the time when Soren and his associates are facing legal trouble, both in the Jharkhand High Court and the Election Commission of India, over the charges of corruption and misuse of power.

    The BJP has already moved a plea before the Election Commission seeking his disqualification for alleged irregularities in the grant of mining leases and also on transactions of some shell companies purportedly operated by his family members and associates.

  • Jharkhand CM’s sister-in-law sits on dharna at assembly gates against own government

    By PTI

    RANCHI: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) supremo Shibu Soren’s daughter-in-law and Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s sister-in-law and party MLA Sita Soren on Wednesday sat on a dharna at the gates of the assembly against the policies of her own government, causing a huge embarrassment to the ruling dispensation.

    The Jama MLA said that she has not received satisfactory answers from the state government.

    “I have come to the House seeking the protection of water, forest and land. In the Amrapali project of the Central Coalfields Limited, forest land is being encroached upon and coal is being illegally transported but the government is doing nothing to stop it,” she said.

    Alleging that the state government was giving wrong answers, she demanded that the land encroached by CCL be freed.

    Another JMM MLA, Lobin Hembram, asked whether it was true that the Jharkhand government was planning to sell liquor.

    “Shibu Soren speaks of prohibition but Hemant Soren is preparing to do the opposite. Nothing could be more shameful than this,” the lawmaker added.

  • Will Hemant Soren ditch Congress to campaign for Mamata? JMM to decide soon

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has been requested by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee to campaign for her in the West Bengal Assembly elections and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha will take a decision on this soon keeping in mind the objective of giving a pushback to the BJP’s poll prospects, a senior JMM leader said on Sunday.

    The development assumes significance as the JMM is an alliance government with the Congress in Jharkhand and the Sonia Gandhi-led party has tied up with the Left and the Indian Secular Front in West Bengal against the BJP and the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

    After the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Samajwadi Party and the Shiv Sena, Banerjee had said last week that the TMC has received support from the JMM and the Nationalist Congress Party for the assembly polls.

    In West Bengal, communication keeps happening with Mamata Banerjee as being in neighbouring states, issues are regularly discussed, a senior JMM leader said on condition of anonymity.

    “It was our demand that some regions of West Bengal, Bihar and Odisha should have been made part of Jharkhand as they had been part of the movement for the state, but in 2000 the borders that were created, some areas were left out,” the leader said.

    “As a result, you would see that in West Bengal’s tea gardens, a majority of the people are from Jharkhand. So, we do have an influence there,” the leader said.

    The TMC chief has asked the Jharkhand chief minister to campaign for her, the JMM leader said, adding that party chief Shibu Soren has been informed about the request.

    The leader said a decision will soon be taken on it by the party.

    “But the target is fixed that the BJP has to be given a pushback there and a decision will be taken keeping that in mind,” the leader said.

    The JMM leader also slammed the Centre on various issues such as high fuel prices, farm laws and treatment meted out to farmers.

    The leader also alleged that it seems cooperative federalism is left only on name.

    Significantly, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav had also thrown his party’s weight behind Banerjee and appealed to Biharis domiciled in West Bengal to rally behind the chief minister in the elections.

    RJD is also part of the Jharkhand government headed by Hemant Soren.

    Elections to the 294-member West Bengal assembly will be held in eight phases from March 27 to April 29.

    Votes will be counted on May 2.