As Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren faces potential arrest in an alleged money laundering case, speculation has been rife that his wife Kalpana Soren might step in and take over his post.
Kalpana, 48, was born in Ranchi in 1976. She hails from a business family based in Mayurbhanj district in Odisha. Her family still live in Mayurbhanj, a city they have had a long association with.
Kalpana Soren did her graduation in engineering, followed by an MBA. A business woman, Kalpana runs a private school and several other businesses. She is also involved in organic farming. She takes a keen interest in programmes for women and children.
She got married to Hemant Soren on February 7, 2006. Kalpana and Hemant have two children Nikhil and Ansh.
Kalpana Soren, who had been maintaining distance from active politics till last year, has been recently seen accompanying her husband in various programmes after his name appeared in the case.
In 2022, former chief minister Raghubar Das had accused Hemant Soren of misusing his position to allot a plot in an industrial area to a company owned by his wife.
Many believe that being married into a political family would naturally enable Kalpana Soren to handle the current scenario in the state if given an opportunity to lead.
However, Bharatiya Janata Party's Nishikant Dubey claimed that Hemant's brother Basant Soren and sister-in-law Sita Soren have not agreed to the proposal of Kalpana becoming the CM.
But JMM leader Basant Soren on Monday told ANI that theirs was not like the family of Nishikant Dubey where rifts keep happening, adding that the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha was united on all issues.
Meanwhile, Sita Soren, the wife of CM Hemant's brother late Durga Soren, has said that she will oppose any potential decision to make Kalpana Soren the Chief Minister.
As Kalpana is not an MLA, for her to take over as CM of Jharkhand, a present MLA has to vacate his or her seat.
On Tuesday, a day after the ED team visited Hemant's Delhi home with the intent to question him and claimed that he was "untraceable", the Jharkhand Chief Minister reached his official residence in Ranchi and chaired meetings of his alliance MLAs, ending all suspense over his whereabouts. Soren's wife Kalpana was also present at the meeting. The MLAs reportedly signed a 'consent letter' at the meeting.
Meanwhile, Hemant Soren is all set to be questioned by ED officials at his Ranchi residence at noon today.
- By Mukesh Ranjan
(With online desk inputs)