Who is Kalpana Soren, in line to become Jharkhand CM?

As Soren faces disqualification, his wife is in line to take the CM’s post

Amid political buzz that Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren could be disqualified as an MLA for violating electoral norms, leaving the chief minister post in the state vacant, his wife Kalpana has come up as the popular choice to be his successor.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has reportedly told Jharkhand Governor Ramesh Bais that CM Soren should be disqualified, while the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), the largest party in the Assembly with 30 MLAs, as part of the UPA alliance, exuded confidence that Soren will remain the chief minister till 2024.

However, amid the rapidly changing political scenario, JMM is said to have decided to pass on the baton to Kalpana in case Soren is debarred from contesting elections.

Also read | Will move SC if Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren disqualified as MLA: JMM

Let us take a look at his likely successor, Kalpana Soren.

Even as her family hails from Odisha’s Mayurbhanj, Kalpana was born in Ranchi in 1976. She married Soren in February 2007. The couple has two children.

She is involved in multiple business ventures including a private school. Even though she has a low-profile public life, she has been spotted at functions related to women and children empowerment.

She was in the headlines when former chief minister and BJP leader Raghubar Das alleged that CM Soren used his political influence to get his wife a piece of land for her business. The chief minister oversees the industry department of the government. Das alleged that Kalpana’s business got 11 acres of land from plots originally marked for tribals’ industrial initiatives.