Hemant Soren: The tribal warrior with a turbulent but resilient political career

PTI Ranchi: Hemant Sore n , Jharkhand's youngest chief minister, has had a turbulent but resilient political career, marked by legal battles and internal party struggles. Soren, 49, has become a formidable advocate for tribal rights and has carved out a prominent place in the state's political landscape. Soren's journey to the top has not been easy.

From taking charge as CM at a young age to becoming a strong voice for tribal communities, his political career has been shaped by numerous challenges. Hemant Soren, who returned at the helm for a third term days after his release from jail on bail, has had a chequered career. This elections, Soren, along with his wife Kalpana, together addressed around 200 election rallies over the past two months. Soren has consistently accused the BJP-led Centre of attempting to destabilise his administration, calling it a "poaching master" that "could not digest a tribal CM completing a full fiveyear term." Born on August 10, 1975, in Nemra village near Hazaribag, Soren's early life was influenced by the political legacy of his father, Shibu Soren, the leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).

However, Hemant was not initially seen as his father's successor. His elder brother, Durga, was the designated heir, but after his untimely death in 2009, Hemant was thrust into the political spotlight and took over the leadership of the state. He did his intermediate studies at Patna High School and later enrolled in Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi, though he dropped out. Soren began his political career in 2009 as a Rajya Sabha member, but his tenure there was short-lived. He resigned in 2010 to become Deputy Chief Minister in the BJP-led Arjun Munda government. However, the alliance collapsed in 2012, leading to President's Rule in the state. Despite this setback, Soren's resolve to lead Jharkhand never faltered. In 2013, Soren became the state's youngest Chief Minister at the age of 38 with the support of Congress and RJD.

However, his first term was short-lived, as the BJP took power in 2014, and Soren became Leader of the Opposition. A pivotal moment in his career came in 2016 when the BJP-led government attempted to amend laws protecting tribal land, such as the Chotanagpur TenancyAct and the Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act.