Ranchi, April 16: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren was on Tuesday unanimously elected as the central president of the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), succeeding his father, party patriarch Shibu Soren, who was appointed the party’s founding patron during its 13th Central Convention.
Shibu Soren, who has led the JMM for 38 years, passed the mantle to his son Hemant, who had served as the executive president of the party since 2015.
The transition was formally proposed by senior JMM leader and Dumka MP Nalin Soren and seconded by Maheshpur MLA Stephen Marandi. Shibu Soren then nominated Hemant Soren as central president, a move that was supported unanimously by the party leadership.
“The responsibility that respected Baba Dishom Guruji (Shibu Soren) has given me, the faith that lakhs of party colleagues have shown in me, I will work hard day and night to fulfill it. This support of all of you is my strength,” Hemant Soren posted on X (formerly Twitter) following the announcement.
Addressing party workers at the conclusion of the two-day convention, Hemant Soren said the JMM would embark on a new phase of growth, rooted in the party’s foundational values.
“The party would decide its future journey from this point. We will move towards a long road after the end of this convention,” he said, adding that the JMM reflects the aspirations of the people of Jharkhand and is not merely a political entity.
Soren praised his father’s lifelong commitment to the cause of Jharkhand’s tribal and marginalized communities, highlighting his efforts to safeguard “Jal, Jungle, Jamin” (water, forest, and land), despite limited resources.
The chief minister also reiterated the state government’s commitment to inclusive welfare schemes and social justice. “India is the biggest democracy in the world but it is still reeling under discrimination on the basis of caste, creed and economic condition,” he said.
“We do not discriminate on the basis of religion. The benefits of Maiya Samman Yojana are reaching all the sections of the society,” he added, referring to a flagship welfare scheme of the state.
Hemant Soren further announced that an ex gratia payment of ₹1 lakh would be provided to the families of any ‘andolankari’ (activist involved in the Jharkhand statehood movement) upon their death, as a tribute to their contributions.
