For the past two weeks, the people of Jharkhand have witnessed the political play of the transfer of power from Hemant Soren to Champai Soren. Though Jharkhand remains outside the radar of National Politics, Hemant Soren has become headlines for quite a few days now.
From saving Jharkhand from the imposition of the President’s rule to winning the floor test, he has justified his political moves to the people of Jharkhand before the crucial 2024 Lok Sabha election.
So, why Hemant Soren is being arrested and what can be the consequences?
Arrest of Hemant Soren
Recently, in a series of heavy crackdowns upon several veteran and prominent opposition leaders in India by major investigating agencies like ED (Enforcement Directorate) and CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation), the next name on the list was former CM Hemant Soren.
The story starts from the last week of January when Hemant Soren was questioned multiple times by ED and received a suspicion from the sources that he would be arrested very soon. On 31st January, he had to appear for another round of questioning but on January 30, when ED officials reached his official residence, he could not be traced. The people in his residence were unaware of his whereabouts.
Taking the benefit of the moment, the BJP unit of Jharkhand declared a possible constitutional crisis because of the missing of a sitting CM but JMM (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha) confirmed that they were in touch with Soren.
But the dramatic twist comes when suddenly Hemant Soren appears in his Ranchi residence after 30 hours of his presumed “missing”. He was confidently waving back to his supporters when ED was arresting him but he decided to play a “masterstroke”.
He refused to sign the arrest memo presented before him by the ED. He rather requested that he want to give his resignation first and then sign the memo. Why such a demand?
The demand was not something random but very well planned. When he went to submit his resignation, along with him, the future CM of Jharkhand Champai Soren also met the Governor of Jharkhand CP Radhakrishnan.
Hemant Soren knew that if he signed the arrest memo before resigning, the opposition in Jharkhand would demand the imposition of President’s rule citing a constitutional crisis.
Hence, he smartly planned during his absence everything with his allies and made Champai Soren the next CM of Jharkhand. Now the question arises who is Champai Soren and why he was chosen?
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Champai Soren and the Surviving Floor Test
Champai Soren, the 67-year-old JMM party veteran also known as “Jharkhand’s Tiger” was chosen for this role because of his rich experience in politics after being a 2-time MLA in Bihar Legislative Assembly and 4-time MLA in Jharkhand Legislative Assembly from Seraikella.
Before becoming CM, he was a cabinet minister holding the Transport ministry. Though Hemant Soren wanted his wife Kalpana Soren to be his successor, upon opposition from sister-in-law Sita, an MLA from JMM, Champai Soren, a close associate of Shibu Soren was then finalized.
After the drama of choosing CM was over, the next hurdle was the floor test. As per the traditions set by our lovely states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka, before the floor test, MLAs prefer to disobey the whip of the ruling party.
Just like stock trading, “Horse trading” is a very common term in India now. For people unaware of horse-trading, it is unofficially convincing the MLAs to vote against their party and “poaching” them to their support.
Hence, Hemant Soren decided to fly his MLAs in a plane to keep them safe from “poaching” in a private resort in Hyderabad. This practice is also not very uncommon in India as you may remember a team of MLAs flew to Guwahati for discussion from Maharashtra in 2022 but that is another issue.
Now coming back to Hemant Soren, he was arrested by ED but by the order of Special Court, he was granted and allowed to stay during the floor test. Hence, shortly before the floor test, both Soren and the MLAs returned in time. And the result was that 47 votes were in favour of the ruling coalition government while 29 votes came against them.
But we missed a very important question and that is why such drama? Why was Hemant Soren arrested? Let us find the reason behind it!
Why was Hemant Soren Arrested?
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Jharkhand has been investigating various cases, including illegal mining, a 2009 MGNREGA scam, and the purported illegal sale and purchase of an Army plot in Ranchi.
Bhanu Pratap Prasad, the then revenue sub-inspector of the Bargain Circle Office, was linked to Hemant Soren by the ED. The ED claimed that Prasad was part of a syndicate engaged in unlawful acquisition of properties, utilizing force and falsifying government records.
During searches on April 13, 2023, the ED claimed to have seized 11 trunks of property documents and 17 Panji 2 from Prasad. This information was communicated to the then Chief Secretary of the State, leading to the registration of an FIR on June 1, which ultimately resulted in the initiation of the ECIR (ED’s equivalent of an FIR), leading to Soren’s arrest.
The ED alleged that Soren was among the individuals involved in conspiracies with Bhanu Pratap to take over properties. The agency placed significant emphasis on a singular image of handwritten notes containing a list of properties, namely land parcels, allegedly illegally acquired and possessed by Hemant Soren.
The agency contended that these land parcels, totalling 8.5 acres in the Bargaain area of Ranchi, were physically verified by Prasad as per instructions from the Chief Minister’s Office.
Soren in his defense contended that if they could provide any record proving his ownership of 8.5 acres of land in Ranchi, he would not only exit politics but also leave the state. In his plea to the Supreme Court challenging his arrest, Soren expressed concern that the ED seemed to be conducting a “fishing and roving enquiry” for “political gain.”
In his petition to the Supreme Court, Soren referenced an unrelated dispute over the contested piece of land, which involved Raj Kumar Pahan and Budhan Ram. An investigation by the Bargain Circle Office revealed that the land was “not vested in the Government of Jharkhand,” and its entry into the land records was found to be irregular.
Now as the full verdict of the Supreme Court is awaited and also the investigation and conviction of Hemant Soren is incomplete, we cannot completely predict which party is correct in its place.
The Upcoming 2024 Elections
Hemant Soren, former Chief Minister of Jharkhand, has become the fourth opposition chief minister to face scrutiny from the central investigation agency. Earlier instances will include former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and associates who were accused by the ED in an illegal online betting case while Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad and his son Tejashwi Yadav were implicated in an alleged “land for jobs” scam in Bihar.
Additionally, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has received multiple notices from the ED in the excise policy case. Kejriwal’s deputy, Manish Sisodia, and party MP Sanjay Singh have already been arrested, while another AAP Minister, Satyendra Jain, has been in prison for approximately two years.
There are now speculations that Kejriwal might also face arrest for refusing to appear for questioning, maintaining that it is politically motivated to disrupt his campaign during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Political thinkers argue that the agencies are being misused for political gains, citing instances like Tejashwi Yadav’s prolonged questioning and comparing the ED office to some political party’s office during elections.
The opposition’s claims of agency misuse gain traction as there is a stark contrast in the ED’s approach towards opposition leaders compared to cases involving BJP leaders.
Critics also highlight the lack of initiative by the ED in pursuing cases against ruling party leaders like Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, and Opposition leader in West Bengal Suvendu Adhikary who were charged with many allegations but after joining the ruling party, the case files are lying in a dust room.
Also, it must be kept in mind that the frequency of ED raids against opposition figures can serve for the campaign of a particular political party against the opposition, presenting an anti-corruption narrative.
However, the ED’s inability to substantiate many charges raises questions, with a conviction rate remaining low. Data indicates a four-fold increase in ED cases since 2014, with about 95% targeting opposition leaders. The opposition contends that the agencies are being politically manipulated, adding to the polarized political atmosphere in the lead-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Conclusion
Amid the arrests of Hemant Soren, many people from the tribal community have come forward in protest of the arrest. But it is a situation for thought that people do not protest in mass when they are not provided with the basic human needs and infrastructure.
Jharkhand is a very unique state in India where the state fights for both preserving the tribal community and its diverse natural resources and also moving towards modernization to provide everyone with basic human amenities.
But what the governments of Jharkhand have failed to do is strike the balance. There are also allegations of illegal mining of natural resources but no action till now. This again shifts the burden to us voters who are empowered to choose a person who is responsible enough to fulfill the needs of the community.
We as responsible citizens must decide what can be the best for us and what can bring on an overall development without compromise. Once a wise man said, “If we remove religion and caste from election contention, India won’t be able to vote on development”.
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