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Champai to replace Shibu Soren
Outgoing Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren has announced a candidate to replace him, but plans to return once he gets re-elected through by-election.
- IANS
- Published: 23:41 January 11, 2009
Ranchi: Outgoing Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren has announced a candidate to replace him, but plans to return once he gets re-elected through by-election.
Sources say the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief wants his successor to be made interim chief minister and plans to take over again after fighting the assembly polls.
Yesterday, Soren announced that JMM legislator Champai Soren, from Seraikela seat, would replace him.
According to sources, JMM legislators signed a letter electing Champai Soren as their leader.
Despite getting clear directions from the central United Progressive Alliance (UPA) leaders to quit, Soren is delaying his resignation to ensure his party candidate is anointed as interim chief minister to avoid a constitutional crisis.
Soren convened a meeting of the state UPA leaders and legislators last evening to discuss about the next chief minister. The sources said the JMM chief will fight the Jamtara assembly seat and after getting elected to the state legislature replace Champai Soren. The Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), two key allies of the state UPA, have categorically told Shibu Soren to quit.
He had earlier wanted to push his wife and eldest son Durga Soren as next chief minister. However, both are not members of the state legislature - which is a disqualification.
The issue of who will replace Shibu Soren has led to some political twists. While the JMM insists that the next chief minister should be from the party, the RJD wants former chief minister and independent legislator Madhu Koda to take over.
Last Saturday night, the state Congress leaders faxed a message to party president Sonia Gandhi to initiate the process to form the next government, headed by the Congress.
"We have tested the JMM, and the independents. We are not ready to accept any more political experiments in the state. Being the second largest party, the Congress should get a chance to form the next government," a source in the state Congress party told IANS. The central Congress leaders are however not in favour of forming the next government in the state.
Shibu Soren lost the Tamar by-poll by 9,062 votes to Jharkhand Party candidate Raja Peter Thursday. Soren took over charge of the state on August 27 last year, and needed to win the election to remain chief minister.
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