RANCHI: A statement by a few JMM MLAs has sparked speculations about the possible change of guard soon before or after the Gandey by-election in Jharkhand. Giridih MLA Sudivya Kumar Sonu, who is said to be close to former CM Hemant Soren, had said during a meeting of workers at Gandey that they are not going to elect an MLA only, but a leader equivalent to the Chief Minister.
“If Kalpana madam is elected MLA from here then what has not happened in the last 75 years will happen in merely four months….. You are not going to elect an MLA but a leader equivalent to a CM,” said the JMM MLA Sudivya Kumar Sonu. This is what needs to be said in public,” he added.
AICC general secretary and Jharkhand in-charge Ghulam Ahmed Mir has already termed Kalpana Soren as a “CM material” saying that the BJP will pay a heavy price for its “injustices” meted out to political leaders and people.
Meanwhile, the aggression with which CM Champai Soren was counting the achievements of Hemant Soren Soren Government was put on halt all of a sudden and he went on a 3- day visit to his Assembly constituency despite the fact that the party has already announced its candidates for four Lok Sabha seats. Such incidents also give boost to the speculation that something is being cooked inside the JMM.
Meanwhile, Kalpana Soren has already taken charge of the party in the absence of her husband and will be a star campaigner for the JMM and INDIA Bloc in Jharkhand. Efforts are also on to keep her at the centre-stage through ‘Nyay Ulgulaan Rally’ to be held at Prabhat Tara Maidan in Ranchi on April 21.
Kalpana Soren has been making all arrangements for the rally leaving behind all the senior party leaders, including CM Champai Soren. According to party sources, personal invitations are being sent by Kalpana Soren to each of these leaders and she is also coordinating with them at personal level to make this rally a grand success.
Recently, Kalpana Soren also released the agenda for the proposed ‘Nyaya Ulgulan Rally’ on Hemant Soren’s social media account, saying that it will be against dictatorship, donation thieves, electoral bond loot, and those who loot water, forest and land, against tribal opponents, Dalit opponents, backward opponents, minority opponents.
The proposed rally will also denounce selling of government assets to private entities, against unemployment and inflation, she said.
Kalpana Soren, who projected herself as the JMM leader during the concluding ceremony of ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ in Mumbai on March 17 is said to have been taking almost all key decisions in the party.