Fact Check: Champai Soren wants to rejoin JMM? No, it’s an old video
A video showing Champai Soren praising JMM leader Hemant Soren has gone viral. Champai Soren is currently with the BJP.
By Sibahathulla Sakib Published on 1 Dec 2024 5:14 PM IST
Claim: A video of Champai Soren praising Hemant Soren shows that former Jharkhand CM wants to rejoin JMM.
Fact: The claim is false. The video is old and was filmed when Champai Soren was with the JMM, serving as Jharkhand’s chief minister.
Hyderabad: Champai Soren, a veteran politician and key figure in Jharkhand’s political landscape, has represented the Seraikela constituency since 1991. In the 2024 Jharkhand Assembly elections, he contested and won the seat as a BJP candidate, marking a shift in his political alignment after decades of being a staunch member of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). His decision to join the BJP earlier this year was a calculated move aimed at strengthening the party’s appeal among Scheduled Tribes, a core voter base of the JMM. This transition also highlighted the BJP’s strategic efforts to counter JMM’s influence in tribal regions.
Amid these developments, a video has surfaced online allegedly showing Champai Soren praising Hemant Soren, the current chief minister of Jharkhand and JMM leader.
An X user shared the video with the caption, “MASSIVE BREAKING. Champai Soren now wants to return home to JMM. Earlier he left JMM and joined BJP and now wants to return to JMM. Burnool Moment for Sanghis.” (Archive)
The video, lasting 1:01 minutes, shows Champai Soren addressing the media, expressing his support for Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.’ In the video, he also refers to Hemant Soren as ‘our leader’ and commends him for launching several developmental schemes and championing justice.
Similar claims can be seen here and here. (Archive) (Archive)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is false. The video is old.
The video, displaying the ANI logo, was traced through a keyword search to a post by ANI Hindi News dated February 2, 2024.
The post featured the same video. The post confirmed that Champai Soren had expressed his support for Rahul Gandhi’s campaign and praised Hemant Soren’s leadership.
The caption read, “#WATCH Ranchi: Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren said, “We will participate in Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’... He (Hemant Soren) is a leader of our party, he has started many schemes for the development of the state and he will be successful in his fight for justice.”
On February 2, 2024, Champai Soren was sworn in as Jharkhand’s 12th Chief Minister, succeeding Hemant Soren, who was remanded to Enforcement Directorate custody.
The video reflects this context and was recorded during his tenure in the JMM-led alliance.
Months later, Champai Soren officially joined the BJP on August 30, 2024, a move widely covered by national media.
Since the video is from February this year, it is unrelated to the current political scenario.
Therefore, the viral claim suggesting that Champai Soren wants to return to JMM is false. The video being circulated is old and was recorded during his tenure as Jharkhand’s chief minister when he was associated with JMM. It holds no relevance to his current role as a BJP leader.
