Will Kalpana Be J'khand CM After Hemant Soren's Arrest? Here's Who She is & Hurdles to Top Post

Amid buzz that Hemant Soren‘s wife Kalpana Soren may replace him as the Jharkhand chief minister, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey late on Tuesday said that Hemant’s elder brother Basant Soren and sister-in-law (bhabhi) have come out in protest.

“Only 35 MLAs reached the meeting (where decision on Kalpana was to be taken). The MLAs signed on plain paper. Hemant ji has no plans to meet the governor tomorrow (Wednesday). May be he’ll join the enforcement directorate’s inquiry,” Dubey posted on X (formerly Twitter).

An X user posted a screenshot of a local newspaper, where Sita Soren said that she will oppose Kalpana’s name as she equally deserves the post since she is a “three-time MLA and her husband has struggled for the party”.

What is the Buzz Around Kalpana Soren and Who is She

• A report in NDTV quoted its sources in the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha Party as saying that Hemant Soren’s wife Kalpana Soren might step into his shoes if he gets arrested

• Soren will be questioned by the Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday in connection with an alleged money laundering case. There are chances that he might be arrested by the agency after his statement is recorded.

• According to a report in Hindustan Times, Kalpana Soren is not from any political background and is originally from Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district. She got married to Hemant Soren on February 7, 2006.

• The couple has two children — Nikhil and Ansh. Kalpana’s father is a businessman and her mother is a homemaker. Kalpana is involved in business and charity work.

• The report stated that Kalpana runs a school and is involved in organic farming. She studied engineering and MBA.

• The NDTV report stated that if Kalpana Soren is to take over, they may be a legal hurdle. Constitutional provisions demand that if the term of the Assembly will expire in less than a year, by-polls cannot be held. In that case, it would be difficult for Kalpana Soren to become an MLA, the report stated. Assembly election in Jharkhand is due in November this year.