Former Chief Minister and seasoned politician Champai Soren, known as the 'Kolhan Tiger', has taken a solid lead against JMM's Ganesh Mahali. After thirteen rounds of counting, Soren is leading by over 13,000 votes. He is likely to win the seat. Contesting from the Seraikela seat, which he has held since 2005, Soren faces a tough fight against Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) candidate Ganesh Mahali.
Soren, 67, rose to prominence as a stalwart of the JMM and was once considered close to the party’s patriarch, Shibu Soren, fondly referred to as "Guruji." His political journey took a dramatic turn after Hemant Soren, the sitting Chief Minister, was arrested in January 2024 over a land grab case.
Champai Soren stepped into the Chief Minister’s role in February, steering the state for five months until July. However, the relationship between him and the JMM soured during his brief tenure.
In August, Soren resigned from the JMM, citing humiliation and dissatisfaction with the party’s leadership. "I felt insulted for raising my voice against Bangladeshi infiltration," he had said. Accusing the JMM of straying from its founding ideals, he also alleged that his own government subjected him to surveillance during his time as Chief Minister. Days after quitting, Soren joined the BJP, bringing a seismic shift to the state’s political landscape.
Seraikela has been Champai Soren’s bastion since the first Assembly elections in Jharkhand in 2005. He has won the seat four consecutive times under the JMM’s banner, with his last victory in 2019 cementing his reputation as a trusted tribal leader. However, this year’s election presents a unique challenge as he contests under the BJP banner for the first time.
Soren's critics, including his JMM opponent Ganesh Mahali, argued that his shift to the BJP betrayed the tribal and regional ethos he once championed. Soren, however, countered that the move aligned with his commitment to tribal rights and combating infiltration, issues he claimed the JMM had failed to address.
The outcome in Seraikela will not only determine Soren’s political future but could also signal shifting dynamics in Jharkhand’s tribal heartland. With the BJP banking on Soren’s popularity and the JMM striving to retain its hold, all eyes are on whether the "Kolhan Tiger" can defend his bastion.