Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren is set to return for a second term as his Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led alliance takes the lead in 57 of the 81 assembly seats. The win follows a tough battle, and Soren credited his wife Kalpana and his team for securing the highest-ever tally for any winning alliance in the state’s history.
Speaking exclusively to HT after the victory became clear on Saturday afternoon, Soren, who faced a turbulent period with 149 days in jail earlier this year on corruption charges, acknowledged the collective effort. “We had done our homework and set our targets,” Soren said. “It was going to be a tough fight, but great teamwork helped us deliver the message we wanted. If I had not been in jail during the Lok Sabha elections, we could have done better. Kalpana Soren worked as a one-man army then, and this time, both of us were together.”
Soren’s comments also shed light on his imprisonment, which many speculated was a political move by the BJP-led NDA. Soren dismissed BJP’s tactics, emphasizing that voters valued JMM’s genuine connection with their struggles over divisive issues. “We focused on what the BJP was doing wrong and highlighted our own efforts to answer voters’ concerns,” he said.
Soren credited his father for mobilizing the tribal vote, praised the Maiya Samman Yojana, and reflected on campaign pressure.
