New Delhi: Amid speculations that Hemant Soren’s likely arrest post questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), speculation is rife that his wife, Kalpana Soren might become the next chief minister of Jharkhand.
Soren announced this at a meeting of the MLAs of the ruling alliance this evening and the MLAs have agreed since preservation of the government is crucial at this point, NDTV reported quoting sources.
“We, all the MLAs of the alliance, of Congress, are fully supporting the Chief Minister,” Banna Gupta, the state’s health minister who belongs to the Congress, told reporters late this evening.
There might be a legal hurdle in Kalpana Soren taking over as the Constitutional provisions demand that if the term of the Assembly expires in less than a year, by-polls cannot be held. In that case, it would be difficult for Kalpana Soren to become an MLA. Notably, Assembly election in Jharkhand is due in November this year.
- 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.
- Kalpana and Hemnat Sorent have 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. - Kalpana Soren reportedly runs a school and is involved in organic farming.
- Born in Ranchi in 1946, Kalpana studied engineering and MBA.