‘Accidental CM’ Champai joins league of counterparts with short stints in top post

Ranchi: Outgoing chief minister Champai Soren has joined the league of CMs who couldn’t even remain six months in office following his resignation on Monday. Champai has vacated the seat for his predecessor Hemant Soren.
On the night of January 31, 2024, Hemant named the senior JMM veteran and several time MLA from Seraikela as his successor owing to his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in connection to land scam cases, putting to rest speculations of installing his wife Kalpana in the hot seat.

On February 2, Champai was sworn-in as the 12th CM of Jharkhand, which was formed in 2000. His tenure, however, ended in mere 147 days following a marathon meeting of all ruling constituents and MLAs under the leadership of Hemant at his residence earlier in the day on Wednesday.
At night, Champai formally submitted his resignation paving the way for Hemant’s succession once again for the top post with just a few months left for the assembly elections in the state. Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)’s supremo and Hemant’s father Shibu Soren, however, holds the record of exiting “too early”. In March 2005, Shibu had to resign in just nine days after he failed to clear the majority test. Then, Shibu was in office from March 2 to 12, 2005. He was succeeded by Arjun Munda immediately.
Though Champai was part of statehood movement and was even among the early members of the JMM, his rise to chief minister’s chair was only accidental amid the political turmoil following ED’s crackdown on his predecessor.
In his less than five months’ tenure, Champai’s biggest achievement has been ensuring the smooth transition during the change of guard after Hemant vacated the seat and INDIA block’s encouraging performance in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls. In LS polls, INDIA increased its tally to five parliamentary seats in 2024 vis-a-vis two in 2019. A senior political observer said, “Although it’s too early to comment on the efficacy or style of his governance as he barely spent time in office due to imposition of model code of conduct for maximum duration due to LS polls, his biggest contribution has been that he ensured the alliance govt remained steady in the absence of Hemant.”
“During cabinet rejig and induction of two new ministers in Champai govt, there were few angry voices from within the ruling MLAs after some narrowly missed the bus, but he handled them well. During LS polls, he stood rock solid behind Hemant’s wife Kalpana to help her anchor the campaigning ship,” he added.
A few key decisions by the Champai cabinet in recent weeks included 200 units of free electricity and pension for women of 25 years and above.