Jharkhand CM Soren meets Kharge, Rahul; assembly poll preparation discussed

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi here and discussed the upcoming assembly polls.

The meeting comes days after former Jharkhand chief minister Champai Soren joined the BJP after resigning from the JMM citing dissatisfaction with the party’s current style of functioning and “bitter humiliation”.

Soren met Kharge and Gandhi at the Congress president’s residence here. Congress general secretary organisation K C Venugopal and Soren’s wife Kalpana Soren were also present during the meeting.

Though Soren termed the meeting as a courtesy call, preparations for the assembly polls later this year were learnt to have been discussed.

Champai Soren was appointed chief minister on February 2, following Hemant Soren’s resignation and subsequent arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case. He left the post on July 3, clearing the way for Hemant Soren to resume office on July 4 after being granted bail.

The Congress and the JMM are part of an alliance government in the state.