Champai Soren, former Chief Minister of Jharkhand and a long-standing leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Ranchi on Friday.

“I have faith in the PM of the country and Amit Shah. I am now with the largest party in the world. Earlier I was in a regional party. Jai Shree Ram,” Soren said.

This move comes as Jharkhand prepares for elections to its 81-member Legislative Assembly later this year, with the current government’s tenure ending in 2024. The Election Commission of India has yet to announce the dates for the election.

In a related development, JMM MLA Ramdas Soren from Ghatshila was sworn in as a state cabinet minister earlier today, filling the position left by Champai Soren in the state cabinet. Champai Soren had resigned from all positions and the primary membership of JMM on August 28.

He served as Jharkhand’s Chief Minister on February 2 after Hemant Soren resigned from the post before being arrested by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in a money laundering case. However, Champai Soren’s tenure was short-lived, as he stepped down to allow Hemant Soren’s return following the latter’s bail.