Ranchi/Kolkata: On Wednesday, when Kalpana Soren reached Harladih village in Pirtand, Giridih, she addressed an unexpectedly large crowd. The area, once known as a hub of Naxal activities, rarely hosted political rallies. However, it also holds significance as the former work area of JMM founder Shibu Soren, and the large crowd seemed eager to catch a glimpse of, and listen to, their Guruji’s daughter-in-law.
Kalpana Soren campaigned in the Pirtand area to rally support for Giridih’s JMM MLA, Sudivya Kumar Sonu, who noted after the rally, “The huge turnout makes it clear that the people of Pirtand have not forgotten Dishom Guru (Shibu Soren).”
In the crucial Jharkhand assembly election, the prominent leaders or star campaigners from each contesting party remain mostly the same as in the 2019 assembly election—except for one: Kalpana Murmu Soren. The legislator from Gandey and wife of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who began her political career on March 4 this year when Hemant Soren was inside jail, is proving to be a significant difference between the INDIA bloc and the NDA. Kalpana Soren, now in demand by INDIA bloc candidates to campaign in their constituencies, emphasizes Jharkhandi pride in her speeches and highlights the accomplishments of the Hemant Soren-led Gath Bandhan (INDIA) government. However, her primary issue is the 1.36 lakh crores in coal dues owed to Jharkhand by the Indian government.
Hemant Soren’s wife and mother of two, Kalpana speaks at least four languages—Hindi, Santhali, English, and Odia. Despite only eight months in her political career and five months as an MLA, she addresses her audiences with the confidence of a seasoned politician. An engineering and MBA graduate, she articulates her views without hesitation.
The success of her rallies can be gauged by the fact that her helicopter was recently grounded, citing security reasons, preventing her from addressing a rally in Latehar. Kalpana is also contesting the assembly seat in Gandey, where the NDA has fielded a female opponent against her. In the bypoll, her first election, the BJP candidate, a male, lost by over 26,000 votes.
“JMM claims that Hemant Soren is fighting alone against the NDA and BJP’s powerful machinery, but Kalpana Soren stands firmly beside the Jharkhand CM. While technically Kalpana is an MLA and Hemant Soren is the chief minister and top leader of the party, making him the lone fighter, the Gandey MLA has emerged as an additional strength for the INDIA bloc. She’s also strengthening INDIA’s connection with female voters, which may increase due to programs like the Maiya Samman Yojna,” remarked Anand Dutta, a Ranchi-based journalist.
