Ranchi, 16 April
A day after being elected as the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) president, a post which was held by his father Shibu Soren, Chief Minister Hemant Soren took a vow to become the voice of every poor, deprived and youth of the state.

Rajya Sabha MP Shibu Soren had been the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's chief for the past 38 years, while his son Hemant served the party as its executive president since 2015.

"It is a proud moment for me to get the opportunity to take forward the ideologies under which our mentor respected Shibu Soren ji had laid the foundation of JMM. I humbly accept this responsibility and take a pledge that I will become the voice of every village, every poor, every deprived and every youth of Jharkhand," Hemnat Soren said in a post on X.

Hemant Soren was elected to the president's post on Tuesday during the JMM's 13th central convention in which his father was made the founding patron of the party.

He said, "Today, when I am assuming the responsibility of the post of president of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), many emotions are flowing in my mind. This is not an ordinary post, but it is a representation of the dreams, struggles and aspirations of the people of Jharkhand."

The history of JMM is full of struggles, but its resolve is unwavering, he said.

"Today again, we have to unite and fight for the identity, development and justice of Jharkhand. It is my promise to all the workers, leaders and people of Jharkhand - I will never let your trust break," the Jharkhand CM said.

During the two-day central convention which concluded on Tuesday, Hemant Soren laid out a robust social justice agenda for the JMM, signalling the party's intent to expand its influence beyond the state and declaring that "feudal forces" would no longer be allowed to exploit the state.

Speaking at the party's 13th Central Convention chaired by Shibu Soren, his son indicated that the party is ready to redefine its national role, buoyed by its strong performance in the 2024 assembly elections in the state.

"The 'Abua Sarkar' (own JMM government) was formed because of the collective will of tribals, Dalits and other marginalised communities who rejected the BJP's double-engine government in the 2019 Assembly polls.

"This government belongs to the people...The feudal forces faced a crushing defeat at the hands of people here and now JMM, which emerged as a powerful force, will not allow them to plunder Jharkhand anymore," he had said.

He asserted that during his previous regime, the BJP hatched a number of conspiracies to uproot his democratically elected government but the the JMM government withstood "constant political pressure" and is committed to accord top priority to the welfare of its people.

Reflecting on the state's political journey since its formation in 2000, Soren accused previous governments of implementing policies that led to continued exploitation of tribals and farmers and said the party, which expanded its base to several states, will continue to grow.