12 chief ministers in 23 years: How Jharkhand is a political minefield

Jharkhand is a state rich in minerals. It has mines aplenty. When it comes to politics, it is a minefield.

Jharkhand's political minefield has resulted in 12 chief ministers and three phases of President's rule in its 23-year history. Come to think of it, the average stint of chief ministers of Jharkhand is around 1.5 years.

It also has the distinction of being a state to have an Independent candidate as the chief minister. That CM lasted for two years.

The most surprising of all the stories is Shibu Soren's.

JHARKHAND'S 10-DAY CHIEF MINISTER

Shibu Soren, is considered the most important leader in getting a separate Jharkhand carved out of Bihar. In his first stint as the chief minister, he could sit for just 10 days in the prized chair.

Referred to as 'Guruji', Shibu Soren founded Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). He is the father of Hemant Soren, the outgoing chief minister who has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a land scam.

Jharkhand, a state marked by political instabilities and regime changes, will get its 12th Chief Minister soon. In a letter to MLAs of his coalition government, Hemant Soren nominated Champai Soren as the chief minister on Wednesday. That was just ahead of his arrest by the ED.

Hemant is part of the political flux that Jharkhand has seen since it gained statehood on November 15, 2000.

He, like his father Shibu Soren, is the third chief minister from Jharkhand to have been arrested. The other being Madhu Koda.

In its short 23-year history, Jharkhand has seen just one chief minister complete a full five-year term.

ELECTIONS AND COALITIONS, JHARKHAND'S INITIAL YEARS

Between 2000 and 2014, Jharkhand saw nine governments led by five chief ministers and three instances of President's Rule.

The BJP's Babulal Marandi became the first chief minister of Jharkhand, who stayed in power for about two years, and three months.

"After Babulal Marandi was made the CM, there was internal bickering in the BJP. All tribal leaders wanted a piece of the pie. Babulal Marandi became a victim of the state's tribal-non-tribal politics," a Ranchi-based senior journalist told IndiaToday.In on condition of anonymity.

Chief Ministers, Babulal Marandi, Arjun Munda, Shibu Soren, Madhu Koda and Hemant Soren averaged 15 months in duration between 2000 and 2014.

"Arjun Munda was tactfully made to lose the 2014 Assembly polls by Raghubar Das (both stalwarts of the Singhbhum area)," the journalist said.

In the span of 14 years, JMM's Shibu Soren, and BJP's Arjun Munda took the oath as the chief minister thrice each, while Hemant Soren, Madhu Koda and Babulal Marandi had single appearances.

Shibu Soren's three appearances also saw his 10-day stint, when his government could not prove a majority in the Jharkhand Assembly.

This period also saw Jharkhand's political instability, resulting in the imposition of President's rule thrice, a total of 645 days.

Barring the 12th chief minister who hasn't taken the oath of office yet, Jharkhand has seen six people assuming the CM's role.

ONLY BJP'S RAGHUBAR DAS SERVED A FULL-TERM

The political situation in Jharkhand became stable after 2014, when BJP's Raghubar Das completed a full term as the chief minister. He would go on to be Jharkhand's first and only CM to serve a full five-year term.

"Even after completion of his full tenure, Raghubar Das lost the 2019 Jharkhand state assembly elections due to his rude and outspoken image," the Ranchi-based journalist said. "After the BJP's loss in the 2019 assembly election, BJP's Arjun Munda was called to Delhi to work in the Central government," he added.

The 2019 Jharkhand state assembly elections saw a turnaround, with Hemant Soren's JMM-led alliance forming the government. The JMM was backed by the Congress and three smaller partners.

"Since 2000, all Jharkhand CMs barring Shibu Soren and his son Hemant Soren of the JMM, have been associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in various capacities," the Ranchi-based journalist said.

JMM LIKELY TO COMPLETE 5-YEAR TERM

The JMM tried to reap the benefits of BJP's internal tussle, but it could not win the requisite number of seats in 2019 to give Jharkhand a one-party rule.

The JMM is restricted by its tribal-centric politics and tribals form just 27% of Jharkhand's population.

It is the fractured mandate by the population mix and the internal bickerings within parties that have claimed chief minister after chief minister.

Though JMM-led coalition is most likely to complete its five-year term, Hemant Soren joins the long list of chief ministers who couldn't complete their full five-year terms. The latest to be claimed by the mines and minefields of Jharkhand.