A video of former Jharkhand chief minister Champai Soren talking to the media has gone viral. In the video, Champai Soren can be heard praising Hemant Soren—the current Jharkhand CM and president of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)—and expressing his wish to join Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
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 JMM.
In the video, Soren can be heard saying, “We will join Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Nyay Jodo Yatra.” When asked if he will meet Hemant Soren, he says, “Hemant Soren is the leader of his party, he has started various schemes for the welfare of the state and he was successful in fighting for justice.”
Those sharing the video claim that Champai Soren has been praising Hemant Soren as he wants to return to JMM from the BJP.
A social media user shared the video and wrote, “Champai Soren is not at all happy after joining BJP. Champai Soren praised CM Hemant Soren profusely. I could not get that respect in BJP.” (Archive)
SouthCheck found the claim is false. The video is old.
The video had the logo of the ANI news. Using this lead, we searched with appropriate keywords and found the same video uploaded by ANI on its X handle.
The video was uploaded on February 2, 2024, with the caption, “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.
Hence, 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.