Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday told voters in Ghatshila that the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) is “not a traders’ party” but represents those who toil and endure. Addressing a public meeting at Kuylisuta village under Musabani block, he urged support for JMM candidate Somesh Chandra Soren, son of the late MLA and former minister Ramdas Soren, framing the bypoll as a contest between economic elites and the state’s indigenous communities.
The rally, attended by Singhbhum MP Joba Majhi, Minister Deepak Birua, and several JMM legislators, included tributes to the late Ramdas Soren and political appeals highlighting tribal identity and local development. Hemant Soren described the bypoll as not merely an election but a continuation of Ramdas Soren’s work for the region.
“This is not a traders’ party. It belongs to those who toil, not those who trade. On one side are those who exploit, on the other are those who endure,” the chief minister said, urging voters to see the election as a choice between the interests of ordinary tribal communities and economic elites.
Recalling Ramdas Soren’s contributions to education, health, and employment, Hemant Soren announced plans to set up a Tribal University in Ghatshila and an engineering college in Musabani. He described Somesh Chandra Soren as “a blank page on which Ghatshila’s people will write their future,” asking voters to bless the young candidate as they had his father.
Minister Deepak Birua credited the late MLA for initiatives in industrial growth, including the reopening of Hindustan Copper Limited mines, which sustained local employment. “Because of his efforts, leases for the Rakha and Siddheswar-Chapri mines were renewed for 20 years. His vision for industrial growth and tribal education must now be carried forward,” Birua said.
The JMM leadership is relying on legacy, loyalty, and local development to retain the Ghatshila seat in the November 11 bypoll, which is seen as a test of strength for both the ruling coalition and the BJP in East Singhbhum.