Congress’s damage control in Jharkhand! Venugopal called Hemant Soren, looked confident again

The storm that was raging in the political corridors of Jharkhand and Delhi for the last 24 hours had given sleepless nights to the ‘India’ alliance. The news floating in the air was that Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) Chief and Chief Minister Hemant Soren is in touch with BJP and may soon become a part of NDA in a big political upheaval. These news not only raised questions on the stability of the government in Ranchi, but also brought into question the unity of the opposition alliance at the national level. But, before this fire could spread like a forest and create panic among the MLAs, Congress took command. Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal took charge, directly called Chief Minister Hemant Soren and issued a statement on social media, putting the last nail in the coffin of these speculations.

In politics, perception is reality. When the narrative started being circulated that Hemant Soren might follow ‘Champai Soren’s path’ or might return to the NDA, it was natural for the uneasiness to increase in the India alliance. This uneasiness was also deep because Hemant Soren has been under pressure from ED and court cases for some time. To handle this situation, the Congress high command fielded its most trusted strategist KC Venugopal. Venugopal not only talked to Hemant Soren, but by making that conversation public, he also gave the message that everything is fine between the two parties.

Today I spoke to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren ji. No one should have any doubt – our India alliance in Jharkhand is rock strong, united and fully committed to pursuing pro-people policies that reflect the aspirations of every citizen of Jharkhand.
– KC Venugopal wrote on X

Why did the news of Hemant Soren joining NDA spread?

• The root of this entire incident were the reports in which it was being claimed that Hemant Soren was in touch with the top leadership of BJP. There were many reasons giving rise to this speculation.
• Champai Soren Episode: Recently, the way former Chief Minister Champai Soren adopted a rebellious attitude and there were speculations that he might go with BJP (although the situation is not completely clear yet), it had raised questions on the stability within JMM. Political pundits started doing the math that if Champai can break, then is Hemant also looking for a ‘safe path’?
• Legal Pressure: Hemant Soren is out of jail on bail. In view of the legal sword hanging over him, the opposition camp has been continuously propagating that Soren can become a part of the NDA for his and his family’s safety.

Spoke to Jharkhand CM Shri @HemantSorenJMM ji today. Let there be no doubts – our INDIA alliance in Jharkhand is rock-solid, cohesive, and fully committed to advancing people-centric welfare policies that reflect the aspirations of every citizen of Jharkhand.

The malicious…