Who is Sita Soren, Jharkhand MLA who jumped ship from JMM to join BJP?

In a blow to the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Sita Soren, three-term MLA and sister-in-law of former chief minister Hemant Soren, quit the party on Tuesday (March 19) and joined the BJP, just weeks before the Lok Sabha polls.

The MLA, representing Jama constituency, joined the BJP in New Delhi in the presence of its national general secretary Vinod Tawde and Jharkhand poll in-charge Laxmikant Bajpai.

Sita Soren is a three-time MLA and the widow of the late Durga Soren, former Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s elder brother, who tragically passed away at the age of 39 in 2009.

Her decision to join the BJP, coming in a crucial election year, reflects Sita’s prolonged dissatisfaction - which has been brewing over the course of 15 years.

Widening rift

The rift between Sita and Hemant Soren’s family, which leads the JMM, has been gradually widening. Despite her long-standing service to the JMM spanning nearly fifteen years, she has spoken about feeling marginalised within the party and the family.

Following her decision to join the BJP, Sita expressed unhappiness over her JMM stint. She said that despite her loyalty to the party, she was not given any meaningful role.

She expressed hope that the BJP would perform well in the upcoming elections in Jharkhand. Despite raising her concerns multiple times with the JMM leadership, particularly Hemant Soren, she felt her grievances were not addressed.

Sita also slammed Champai Soren, the new Chief Minister, describing him as a mere figurehead.

JMM expresses regret

The JMM responded to Sita Soren's departure by expressing regret. Manoj Pandey, a party leader, acknowledged her significance within the party and said that he was concerned that she might harm herself by aligning with opposing factions.

Sita Soren's dissent has been palpable in various incidents, including the promotion of Hemant Soren, the current JMM leader and husband of Kalpana Soren, as well as the formation of a political outfit by her daughters.

Their outfit, named 'Durga Soren Sena,' aims to combat corruption and exploitation in Jharkhand, signalling a departure from the JMM's policies.

Sita’s journey is said to be rooted in her belief that she is the rightful custodian of the political legacy left behind by her husband and father-in-law, both highly influential figures within the JMM.

Aspirations challenged

Despite Durga Soren's prominence within the party hierarchy, his untimely demise left a void that Sita saw herself filling. However, the subsequent rise of Durga’s brother Hemant Soren and his wife Kalpana within the party structure challenged her aspirations.

Her dissatisfaction with the JMM's direction became more evident after she witnessed what she perceived as the party's failure to uphold the principles of her late husband and father-in-law.

This dissatisfaction made Sita take up issues such as illegal mining and corruption in Jharkhand, which she believes have tarnished the vision of her family's political legacy.

In April 2022, Sita Soren held discussions with Governor Ramesh Bais to address concerns regarding illegal mining and corruption prevalent in the state. She lamented the degradation of the vision espoused by her late husband Durga and father-in-law Shibu Soren, centered around the preservation of water, forests, and land.

Controversy

Sita’s resignation coincides with a recent Supreme Court ruling that overturned a 1998 judgement, in which Shibu Soren was implicated, stating that MPs and MLAs are not immune from prosecution if they accept bribes to influence their votes or speeches in the legislative house.

Sita is allegedly accused of accepting a bribe from an independent candidate during the 2012 Rajya Sabha elections.

The 1998 JMM bribery case ruling, which had previously shielded former Union minister Shibu Soren from prosecution, was overturned on March 4 by a seven-judge bench. Interestingly, this decision came following a petition filed by his MLA daughter-in-law, Sita Soren.

Led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, the seven-judge bench invalidated the long-standing 1998 verdict, thereby removing the immunity granted to lawmakers who engage in corrupt practices during their parliamentary duties.

May reshape political landscape

Sita Soren's recent political manoeuvres have added a new dimension to the ongoing political dynamics in Jharkhand.

As she navigates the complexities of party politics and family ties, her actions may reshape the political landscape of the region in the upcoming elections.