Who Is Kalpana Soren, Frontrunner For Jharkhand's CM Post?

On Wednesday, Enforcement Directorate (ED) reached the residence of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren for questioning in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam.

In case Soren gets arrested, his wife Kalpana Soren is likely to be the frontrunner for the Chief Minister post in Jharkhand.

Hemant Soren with his wife, Kalpana Soren/ Facebook

But, official confirmation is awaited. Meanwhile, his brother and sister-in-law have expressed their opposition to Kalpana Soren's potential candidacy for the role of Chief Minister.

Who is Kalpana Soren?

Born in 1976 in Ranchi, Kalpana hails from Odisha's Mayurbhanj but was born in Jharkhand's Ranchi.

She possesses an educational background in engineering, having earned both a Master's in Engineering and an MBA degree.

As per media reports, she got married to Soren in 2006 and the couple have two children - Nikhil and Ansh.

What does Kalpana Soren do?

Kalpana Soren is involved in business and charity works, news reports state.

Kalpana Soren/ india.com

Her father is a businessman, while her mother is a homemaker.

As she is not currently an MLA, Kalpana, if appointed as the next Chief Minister, she will need to secure a seat in the Assembly through a by-election within six months.

In 2022, Kalpana Soren gained attention when allegations were made by former Chief Minister Raghubar Das, accusing Chief Minister Soren of using his authority to allocate a plot in an industrial area to a company operated by his wife.

Clash in family: Who will be Jharkhand's new CM?

However, consensus could not be reached regarding Kalpana Soren's choice as Chief Minister in case her husband gets arrested.

According to Jharkhand minister and BJP MP Nishikhant Dubey, "Sita Soren ji and Basant Soren ji came out in protest" on the name of Kalpana Soren ji in the legislative party meeting.

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Basant Soren is Hemant Soren's brother and Sita Soren is his sister-in-law.

"I am the eldest daughter-in-law of the house... I am also a three-time legislator. If Kalapana Soren's name comes up, I will oppose," said Sita Soren, as quoted by media reports.

As the political battle ensues, all eyes are now on Jharkhand.

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