A win for BJP in Jharkhand would have gone a long way in restoring the glory of Narendra Modi and rejuvenate the loyalists inside the saffron ecosystem. It was precisely with this view it tried to split the JMM with a promise to senior JMM leader Champai Soren to make him chief minister. Popularly known as ‘Kolhan Tiger’, BJP projected him as the revolutionary, who dared to challenge the hegemony of Shibu Soren’s dynastic politics.
But Shah could not comprehend the basic realities and failed. Amit Shah had nursed the view that he would make yet another Jitan Ram Manjhi out of Champai Soren. He forgot the fact that Champai was made to replace Hemant, as the chief minister, at the instructions of JMM patriarch and Dishom Guru Shibhu Soren. There is basic difference between Champai being inducted as a care taker chief minister and his imbibing the public face of JMM. Champai failed to differentiate. He thought himself to be the new face of JMM.

It is worth mentioning that Hemant was against common demand from the leaders to replace him by his wife Kalpana Soren. Instead he favoured Champai as he was the old friend of Shibu Soren.. The sources however maintain that just after Champai became the chief minister, BJP indulged in this game. Champai’s son and some leaders who have been close to BJP, had started a whispering campaign that finally someone from outside Shibu family has got the opportunity to rule. It was the BJP’s strategy to break the political structure of JMM.

After his release from jail, Hemant was not in a hurry to take back the chief minister’s post.. But the growing proximity between Champai and his son with BJP made him act. Shibu had come to comprehend the nasty game BJP, especially Amit Shah was playing. He was working not only on the plot to split the party, he was also trying to split Shibu Soren family. Shah succeeded in his mission with elder Daughter in Law of Shibu rebelling against her family patriarch and joining BJP.

After Hemant’s release, Champai did not make his resigning the office as an issue. It was only a month back, he was instigated by the saffrons to launch an insinuating campaign against Sorens. Under Modi’s plan, Champai would succeed in splitting the party and also inflict a major damage to Sorens’ political reputation and image.

It is significant, just ahead of quitting the party, Champai had taken to social media to share how he was marginalised within the party and abruptly asked to resign as chief minister. Champai also alleged that all his government programmes in the first week of July, when he was the chief minister, were abruptly cancelled by the party leadership without his knowledge.

For obvious political gains, BJP is trying to project him as the tallest tribal leader of Jharkhand, which is purely not a fact. Of course he was once the most trusted aide of JMM patriarch Shibu Soren and had earned the sobriquet of "Jharkhand's Tiger" for his contribution to statehood fight. But it is also a fact that he does not have a huge mass following in the state notwithstanding being a 7-time MLA.

Champai had raised the banner of revolt at the instigation of Amit Shah. But if the sources are to be relied, it was the passive attitude of the state RSS leaders towards these developments that turned the JMM MLAs who had assured their support to Champai sceptical of their political future. Till the day Champai left for Delhi, around seven JMM legislators were with him. But after his meeting with some top BJP leaders, these legislators developed cold feet.

The words have gone round that RSS is against any such step and in fact wants that the BJP should win the ensuing assembly election on its own and come to power. The RSS leaders nursed the view that if Champai could desert his longtime friend with whom he had fought many struggles, how could he not leave the company of BJP in future on some pretext.

Amit Shah nurses a wrong notion that Champai would motivate adivasis to vote for BJP. BJP government of Raghubar Das had inflicted severe damage to the image of the BJP and alienated the tribal community. He for benefitting his non-adivasi corporate friends had even used armed forces to grab Adivasi lands. It had negative impact on BJP. Hemant through various projects and policies, like land registration and Adivasi identity, has succeeded in identifying himself as the symbol of Adivasi aspirations.
Champai is no mood to retire. He had made it categorically clear; ‘Retirement is no longer an option.’ Champai has come to realise that it would be a tough task to counter the Adivasi perception of Hemant of being their new messiah. He has completely alienated the BJP from adivasis. Obviously any move to join BJP would prove to be suicidal. It is this in view Champai intends to float a new party.

Amit Shah has come to realise of the futility of his endeavours. For him it may not be an entirely lost game, but it is also a fact that it would damage the party more. The non-Adivasi supporters and cadres would not like to rally behind Champai. This cold stance of BJP leadership was perceivable during his stay in Delhi. None of the senior BJP leaders met him. They are waiting for right time. With election still a couple of months away, the BJP leaders are hopeful of some miracle from Amit Shah.

It is said that Champai reiteration; “It is a new chapter of my life. I won’t quit politics as I have received lots of love and support from my followers. I had mentioned three options—quitting politics, organisation, or friend. I will not quit politics. The chapter (of quitting politics) has closed, I may form a new outfit.” Significantly, he also said: “I will strengthen the party, a new party and if I meet a good friend on the way, then I will move ahead with the friend…”.

With an eye on Champai, the BJP is looking to make a comeback in Kolhan region where the party could not win a single assembly seat of the total 14 in 2019. Only one seat (Jamshedpur) went to Independent candidate Saryu Rai, who defeated the then chief minister Raghubar Das. In 2024 Lok Sabha elections too, the BJP lost. It had hoped that people out of fear would vote for it. But it did not happen. Hemant Soren’s arrest did not go well with the adivasis. Modi and Shah’s every attempt to corner Hemant Soren proved to be futile. (IPA Service)