THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ghatshila (Jharkhand), Nov 8: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader and MLA Kalpana Soren made an emotional pitch to voters in Ghatshila, urging them to stand by the legacy of former MLA Ramdas Soren and support JMM candidate Somesh Chandra Soren in the upcoming by-election.
The Ghatshila Assembly bypoll, scheduled for November 11, was necessitated after the death of sitting JMM legislator Ramdas Soren earlier this year. The seat has now become a prestige battle for the ruling JMM and a key test for Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
“We will fight, we will die, but we will not bow down”
Addressing a massive crowd, Kalpana Soren said Hemant Soren was imprisoned because he stood firmly with Jharkhand’s tribal, Dalit, and backward communities, not because of any wrongdoing. She described him as “a leader who chose sacrifice over compromise.”
“It is in Hemant Ji’s blood, his culture, and his history — we will fight, we will die, but we will not bow down,” she declared, drawing thunderous applause.
She paid homage to Ramdas Soren, calling him “a brother, grandfather, and respected elder to the people of this land.” She said his death had left a void in Jharkhand’s political family, and voting for Somesh Soren would be “a true tribute to his lifelong commitment to the poor.”
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Welfare schemes and tribal pride
Kalpana Soren highlighted key welfare initiatives launched under Hemant Soren’s leadership — including the Sarvajan Pension Yojana (Universal Pension Scheme) that ensures dignity for the elderly; the Kishori Samriddhi Yojana, through which over 40,000 girls received financial aid for education and empowerment; and the Abua Awas Yojana, providing homes to poor families.
She said these initiatives reflected the JMM government’s commitment to inclusive growth, social justice, and tribal empowerment.
“Hemant Ji worked selflessly for Jharkhand’s people — from the elderly to our daughters — and for that, he was sent to jail. But he never compromised with truth,” she said.
“Hemant continues Guruji’s dreams”
Kalpana Soren emotionally invoked the party’s founder and patriarch, Shibu Soren (Guruji), saying he had only left physically, but his vision for Jharkhand lived on through Hemant’s work.
She called upon the people of Ghatshila to “vote in large numbers on November 11” and carry forward the legacy of struggle, self-respect, and development that the Soren family represents.
A high-stakes triangular contest
The Ghatshila bypoll has turned into a triangular contest among Somesh Chandra Soren of JMM, Babulal Soren of the BJP, and Ramchandra Murmu of the JLKM.
For the JMM, the election is not just about retaining a seat but about reaffirming public trust in Hemant Soren’s leadership amid political turmoil.
Kalpana Soren’s emotionally charged campaign, filled with appeals to tribal identity and Jharkhand pride, has made her the JMM’s most powerful voice on the ground.
