Jharkhand: Chief Minister Champai Soren resigns, Hemant Soren stakes claim to form govt

Champai Soren on Wednesday resigned as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand. He tendered his resignation to Governor CP Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhavan in Ranchi. Hemant Soren is set to regain the position after he was forced to step down following an arrest from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case allegedly involving a land scam.

Hemant staked claim to form govt in Jharkhand after handing over support letter of alliance partners to Governor, said Raj Bhavan sources.

The decision follows a consensus among legislators of the Jharkhand Mukti Murchaled-led alliance in the state after a meeting on Wednesday.



"A few days ago, I was made the Chief Minister and I got the responsibility of the state. After Hemant Soren was back, our alliance took this decision and we chose Hemant Soren as our leader. Now, I have resigned from the post of Chief Minster," said Champai in a media briefing.
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The Jharkhand High Court granted bail to Hemant on June 28, nearly five months after he was arrested on January 31. The court observed that there was no prima facie evidence provided by the ED supporting his arrest.

Hemant will take oath as the CM for the third time.