Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s Tuesday was spent being chased by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), who accused him of being ‘absconding’.
He travelled to Ranchi by road and has held meetings with his party and other alliance MLAs, ahead of his scheduled questioning by the ED in a money laundering case. The meeting with ED officials has since taken place today.
Enforcement Directorate officials today reached the official residence of the Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren in Ranchi in connection with a money laundering case probe linked to an alleged land scam.
Speculations that Hemant Soren’s wife Kalpana Soren might become the next chief minister of Jharkhand were high amid the drama over Hemant Soren’s alleged ‘disappearance’ for nearly 48 hours.
The ED searched his Delhi house on Monday.
Possible Move Is Reminiscent Of Rabri Devi Taking Over As Chief Minister On Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Arrest
Kalpana Soren’s possible ascension is a reminder of a similar move by Lalu Prasad Yadav, who made his wife Rabri Devi the chief minister of Bihar when he was arrested.
Through the allegations of “absconding” by the Bharatiya Janata Party and “untraceable” by ED officials, reports informed that the Jharkhand CM had travelled from national capital Delhi to Ranchi undertaking a journey of more than a 1000 kms.
Notably, the federal agency had questioned Hemant Soren on January 20 and later issued a fresh summons asking him to confirm his availability for questioning on either January 29 or January 31.
Who Is Kalpana Soren, The Forerunner For The Position Of Chief Minister Of Jharkhand Right Now?
- Kalpana Soren is not from a political background. Her family hails from Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district.
- She was born in Ranchi in 1976 and has studied engineering and business management.
- Kalpana Soren got married to Chief Minister Of Jharkhand Hemant Soren on February 7, 2006
- The couple have two children named Nikhil and Ansh.
- Kalpana’s father is a businessman and her mother is a homemaker.
- Kalpana is involved in business and charity work. She reportedly runs a school and is involved in organic farming.
Since Kalpana Soren is not an MLA, if she becomes the chief minister, a sitting MLA will need to vacate his/ her seat. The alliance legislators have signed a letter of support without mentioning any name as speculations are rife that Kalpana Soren will be handed over the reins in the event of his arrest.
According to sources in the BJP, Hemant Soren’s brother Basant Soren and sister-in-law Sita Soren were not in agreement to the proposal of Kalpana becoming the next Chief Minister Of Jharkhand
Kalpana Soren was present at the meetings of the state’s ministers and party MLAs in Ranchi yesterday. The meetings took place amid BJP claims that Hemant Soren had absconded after the Enforcement Directorate did not find him at his Delhi residence.
Hemant Soren reached Ranchi from Delhi by road and held two meetings.
Bengali