Kalpana Soren Hailed As X Factor As JMM Leads In Jharkhand; Know Her Odisha Connection

Ranchi/Bhubaneswar: Kalpana Soren, wife of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Hemant Soren Hemant Soren, was seen celebrating with party men as the Mahagathbandhan continued its lead in Jharkhand on Saturday.

After trailing in the initial rounds, Hemant Soren’s JMM-led INDIA bloc made a stunning comeback and is currently ahead in more than 50 seats in the 81-member state assembly. Kalpana is also leading in Gandey assembly constituency by a margin of 8,933 votes over her rival, BJP’s Muniya Devi, after 18 of 21 rounds of counting, according to the latest trends from the Election Commission of India.

“…Counting is still underway. When we have waited so far, let’s wait for a few more hours. I think it will be too early to say anything now. So, let’s wait…Everyone has waited for November 23. I think we should wait for 2-3 more hours…People of Jharkhand have chosen the path to development. Women are winning this time…,” she told ANI.

While JMM is on track to secure a second consecutive term as part of the INDIA bloc, Kalpana is also winning praises for having steered the party’s ship in the Assembly polls along with her husband Hemant Soren, whom the BJP had dubbed as ‘Bunty aur Babli’. The couple held nearly 200 election rallies after elections were announced.

Kalpana formally entered politics after her husband’s arrest earlier this year and this will be her second election victory from Gandey in Giridih district, home to a large number of tribals and Muslims, after her maiden win in the bypoll earlier this year. She had also taken charge of campaigning for the opposition INDIA bloc ahead of Lok Sabha elections. And within a year, she drew attention with her public speaking skills and ability to connect with women voters, leading to a demand for her rallies.

Her Odisha Roots

Kalapana is a native of Tentala village of Bahalda block in Mayurbhanj district. She was born in 1976 in Ranchi where her father Ampa Murmu, a retired defence personnel, was posted at the time.

Eldest daughter of the family, Kalpana did her schooling at Kendriya Vidyalaya in Baripada, the district headquarters of Mayurbhanj. A sincere student, she got her BTech from an institute in Bhubaneswar and then an MBA degree. She got married to Hemant according to Santhal rituals on February 7, 2006. They have two children.

Following her marriage, the daughter-in-law of JMM chief Shibu Soren was running a business. She also kept herself devoted to social activities and ran a school. She was a regular in programmes on women empowerment and children welfare.

She was embroiled in controversy when former chief minister and BJP leader Raghubar Das alleged that Hemant misused his power to allot a plot for his wife’s business. Kalpana was allegedly allotted 11 acre of land from the plot pool created for the tribals to start industrial ventures.