Kalpana Soren: How "Jhansi ki Rani" filled a political void in Jharkhand

Kalpana Soren

Kalpana Murmu Soren, an engineer with an MBA, has been thrust into the political arena following her husband Hemant Soren's arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on January 31.

Since Hemant Soren’s arrest, she has steered the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha through the crucial Lok Sabha elections with a steady hand and galvanising speeches.

Armed with an MBA degree, Ms. Soren, a mother of two children, has gone all out on the campaign trail as the reputation and prestige of the Soren family is at stake in the byelection. She is up against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Dilip Verma and its alliance partner All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) is also canvassing support for the BJP candidate.

On March 4, making her political debut on the foundation day of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Kalpana Soren broke down while speaking of Hemant Soren’s arrest.  Allowing her a brief pause, party workers began sloganeering, “Jail ka taala tootega, Hemant Soren chootega.” The lock of the jail will break, Hemant Soren will be freed. Quickly composing herself, Kalpana Soren went on to deliver the rest of her speech proclaiming, “Jharkhand jhukega nahi.” Jharkhand will not bow down.

Her political activities gained momentum as she toured Jharkhand, campaigning for the JMM and the INDIA bloc. Kalpana's efforts were applauded by prominent state leaders. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal likened her to the "Rani of Jhansi," while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called her a symbol of "Nari Shakti."

In her campaign speeches, Kalpana shared insights from her years of observing Hemant's political journey, noting, “I watched as Hemant faced problems and figured out solutions. So, in a sense, without even knowing, I was getting my training.”

Her electoral journey is part of a broader strategy by the INDIA bloc to highlight the use of central agencies against opposition leaders. Senior JMM functionaries praised her impact, saying, “Kalpana, hitting the campaign trail after her husband’s arrest, stirs up sentiments among the electorate.

The JMM is part of the INDIA bloc and is contesting elections in alliance with the Congress in Jharkhand and Odisha. In today's polls, three seats in Jharkhand are going to the polls Chatra, Kodarma and Hazaribagh. The results of the Lok Sabha elections will be declared on June 4.