NEW DELHI — Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi who asserted that the INDIA bloc will win the upcoming assembly polls in the state with a "massive majority".
The meeting comes days after former Jharkhand chief minister Champai Soren joined the BJP after resigning from the JMM citing dissatisfaction with the party’s current style of functioning and "bitter humiliation".
Soren met Kharge and Gandhi at the Congress president's residence here. Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal and Soren's wife Kalpana Soren were also present during the meeting.
Though Soren termed the meeting as a courtesy call, preparations for the assembly polls later this year were learnt to have been discussed.
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"Courtesy meeting with Jharkhand Chief Minister Shri Hemant Soren and Mrs. Kalpana Soren in the presence of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. INDIA is united for the upliftment and rights of the people of Jharkhand, the poor and the tribals. We will win this election with a massive majority," Gandhi said in a Facebook post.
After the meeting, Kharge also asserted that INDIA bloc will win in Jharkhand.
"Today, along with Mr. Rahul Gandhi had a courtesy meeting with the Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Mr. Hemant Soren. We are fully committed to social justice and economic upliftment of all sections of the society in Jharkhand," Kharge said.
आज नई दिल्ली में कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष श्री मल्लीकार्जुन खड़गे जी एवं श्री राहुल गांधी जी से मुलाक़ात हुई। pic.twitter.com/m83PbkTR5f
— Hemant Soren (@HemantSorenJMM) September 3, 2024
Champai Soren was appointed chief minister on February 2, following Hemant Soren's resignation and subsequent arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case. He left the post on July 3, clearing the way for Hemant Soren to resume office on July 4 after being granted bail.
The Congress and the JMM are part of an alliance government in the state.