Jharkhand CM Soren Meets Congress Leaders Ahead of Assembly Elections

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren met Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi for a 'courtesy meet', discussing upcoming assembly elections. Soren also visited Sufi saint Khwaja Gareeb Nawaz in Ajmer to pray for the state's well-being. Recently, JMM veteran Champai Soren joined the BJP.

On Tuesday, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren met with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. Soren described the encounter as a 'courtesy meet' and hinted that talks would soon commence between the two parties regarding the upcoming Jharkhand assembly elections.

Addressing the media after his meeting, Soren stated, 'I had been planning this for a while. It was a courtesy meeting. We will now engage in discussions about the Jharkhand Assembly Elections. Everything else is fine and peaceful. We will lead the government with full strength and aim to secure a win in future elections.'

Earlier, Soren visited the Sufi saint Khwaja Gareeb Nawaz in Ajmer, Rajasthan on Monday to pray for the state's and the country's well-being. He said, 'Once again, I reached the Sufi saint Khwaja Gareeb Nawaz...I prayed for the well-being of the people of this state and country.' Meanwhile, Champai Soren, a senior leader of JMM and former state CM, joined the BJP on August 30 in what many see as a blow to Hemant Soren's party. Champai Soren expressed his faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Amit Shah upon joining BJP. Jharkhand is gearing up for elections to its 81-member Legislative Assembly later this year, with the Election Commission of India yet to announce the dates. In the 2020 Assembly election, JMM secured 30 seats and Congress 16. During the recent Lok Sabha elections, BJP emerged as the largest party with 8 seats, while JMM won 3 and Congress 2.

(With inputs from agencies.)