Jharkhand ex-CM and JMM founder Shibu Soren dies at 81
What's the story
Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren has passed away at the age of 81 after a prolonged illness. PTI sources reported on Sunday that the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) founder was on ventilator support, in critical condition. On Monday morning, his son and current Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced Soren's passing, saying, "Respected Guru Dishom has left us all. Today, I have become empty."
Soren
Admitted to Sri Ganga Ram Hospital
Soren was admitted to Sri Ganga Ram Hospital in the national capital in the last week of June due to a kidney-related ailment. "Shibu Soren was declared dead at 8:56 am today. He was suffering from a kidney ailment, and had suffered a stroke, a month and a half back. He was on the life support system," the hospital said in a statement.
Who
Elected to the Lok Sabha 8 times
Soren commanded the JMM for nearly 40 years after taking over the party in 1987 and remained its undisputed president until April 2025. He was also at the forefront of the campaign for a separate Jharkhand state. Soren was elected to the Lok Sabha eight times throughout his four-decade political career and served as a Rajya Sabha MP for two terms.
History
He was CM 3 times
Soren, a member of the Santhal community, was born in Ramgarh, Bihar. In 1972, he founded the JMM alongside Leftist trade union leader AK Roy and Kurmi Mahato leader Binod Bihari Mahato. He went on to become the CM three times—in March 2005, August 2008 to January 2009, and from December 2009 to May 2010. His first term as CM lasted just nine days.
CM
Soren joined the Manmohan Singh ministry in 2004
His term in the Union Cabinet followed a similar trend. Soren joined the Manmohan Singh ministry in 2004, but was compelled to quit after an arrest warrant was issued in the 1974 Chirudih case. After being released on bail, he was reinstated in the Union Cabinet but resigned to become chief minister of Jharkhand.