Warrior image, tribal connect—Jharkhand ex-CM Hemant Soren’s wife Kalpana is rising as a politician

Giridih: Draped in a black sari, Kalpana Soren, wife of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, sits cross-legged on the floor, eye-to-eye with tribal community leaders known as Majhi Hardam and Majhi Budhi in Giridih. Speaking fluently in the Santali language, she asks them about the hardships facing their people while also recounting her husband’s travails. He has been in jail since January over a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam.

“Jharkhand and its tribals will not bow down, nor will the INDIA bloc be silenced,” she declares. As the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) candidate for the Gandey assembly bypoll on 20 May, she seems every bit the seasoned politician, deftly balancing tribal outreach, collaboration with other INDIA bloc leaders, and fiery speeches. She is also a star campaigner for the JMM in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

On Saturday, four days after filing her nomination, she energises a public meeting with slogans, invoking the names of both her husband and his father, JMM chief Shibu Soren, another former Jharkhand CM who landed in jail on corruption charges.

“Dishom Guru Shibu Soren zindabad, jail ka tala tootega (the locks of jail will be broken). Hemant Soren chhootega (Hemant Soren will be released)!” she sloganeers while the crowd chants after her.

Two months ago, on 4 March, Kalpana entered public life at the JMM’s foundation day event in Giridih’s Jhanda Ground, alongside Chief Minister Champai Soren. On stage with a microphone in hand, she couldn’t hold back her tears.

“They (the BJP-led central government) hatched such a big conspiracy due to which Hemant had to go to jail. Jharkhand will not bow down. Jharkhand will not stop,” she vowed.

Since that emotional speech, the 38-year-old engineering and MBA graduate and mother of two has maintained her momentum, rallying JMM supporters and tribal groups in meeting after meeting. There’s even speculation in political circles that she may become Jharkhand CM one day, especially after Gandey MLA Sarfraz Ahmed stepped aside for her candidacy from the seat, which comes under Giridih Lok Sabha constituency. Ahmed has since been elected to the Rajya Sabha.

“Kalpana Soren is an educated woman. The way she has presented herself among the family, JMM and India Block in a short span of time shows that she has emerged as an important face in JMM and the Soren family,” said Rajat Kumar Gupta, a noted Jharkhand-based political analyst.

Originally from Mayurbhanj in Odisha, Kalpana Soren has seamlessly segued from her business and social work background into active politics in Jharkhand, according to Gupta.

“Through rallies and meetings, she seems to be trying to arouse the sentiments of the tribal community angry with the arrest of Hemant Soren,” he said. “She attacks the BJP and the central government, defends Hemant Soren, and shows respect for the status and movement (to create Jharkhand state) of Shibu Soren  She pays homage to the tribal martyrs of Jharkhand.”

Kalpana also presents a striking contrast to Sita Soren, her sister-in-law and the wife of the late Durga Soren. While Kalpana has dedicated herself to the JMM and the surviving Soren family, Sita took a different path, resigning as an MLA and joining the BJP in March. She is now contesting from the Dumka Lok Sabha constituency.

Warrior image

Kalpana Soren has been on a non-stop schedule, holding as many as 60 meetings in Gandey over the last week. She makes sure to greet everyone with a traditional ‘johar’, the traditional tribal equivalent of a namaskar.

“When Kalpana Soren raises both her hands and says ‘johar’ in any rally or meeting, the enthusiasm of the JMM cadre increases. She is not only awakening the cadre and supporters, but is also giving the call to move ahead for the struggle against the BJP and its government at the Centre,” said Nunu Ram Kisku, the JMM’s Bengabad block president.

Connecting with crowds in both Santali and Hindi, and often seen donning tribal-style saris, she fires up support for the JMM and takes a combative stance against the BJP.

“The BJP thought that the field would be open for them after Hemant Soren’s arrest, but Kalpana Soren has presented a big challenge to them,” said JMM MLA Sudivya Kumar Sonu. “Wherever she goes, she gets strong support from women of every section.”

Kalpana also makes it a point to honour Jharkhand’s tribal icons and warriors, incorporating their symbolism into her own image. For instance, in a 2 May post on X, she shared a photo of herself holding a bow and arrow, along with a poem by Ramdhari Singh Dinkar. “When adversity strikes, it frightens only the coward. Warriors do not get perturbed,” it says.

सच है, विपत्ति जब आती है,

कायर को ही दहलाती है,

शूरमा नहीं विचलित होते,

क्षण एक नहीं धीरज खोते,

विघ्नों को गले लगाते हैं,

काँटों में राह बनाते हैं। pic.twitter.com/xnstt03qf1

— Hemant Soren (@HemantSorenJMM) May 2, 2024

Over the past two months, Kalpana has shared the stage with senior leaders three times at INDIA bloc rallies and is said to play an important role in collaborating with other members of the alliance.

At a 21 April rally in Ranchi, she sat beside Sunita Kejriwal, wife of jailed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Two empty chairs in the name of Hemant Soren and Arvind Kejriwal made a powerful point, registering the absence of their respective husbands.

After filing her nomination for the Gandey by-election on 29 April, Kalpana delivered a speech at Papparwatand ground in front of Shibu Soren, her brother-in-law Basant Soren, and several leaders of the INDIA bloc.

“Hemant Soren has been put in jail, but the prison walls cannot imprison his thoughts. The blood of our revered Dishom Guruji flows through his son. How can anyone stop a man with tribal DNA?” Kalpana declared. Her words stirred the crowd into chanting slogans in support of Hemant Soren.

Building soft power

Side by side with her newfound ‘warrior’ image, Kalpana Soren talks about the Constitution, reservation, and tribal issues, while also trying to connect with constituents on a personal basis.

From holding choupals under trees in villages to seeking blessings from elders to sipping tea at a tapri (roadside stall) with her supporters, she is cultivating the image of a grounded, people’s leader.

In street meetings where she discusses the JMM government’s schemes, she acknowledges that more work is needed to meet the people’s aspirations.

“Kalpana Soren is energetic and likes to communicate with people in a very simple way. She also keeps an eye on people’s problems and the pace of the schemes,” said JMM spokesperson Dr Tanuj Khatri, who is associated with her campaign team. “During meetings, she notes down the comments of workers and supporters on paper. She takes full care of how her words reach the hearts of the people.”

The effectiveness of her strategies will be tested in the Gandey bypoll, where she squares off against BJP’s Dilip Kumar Verma. The results are due on 4 June, alongside those of the Lok Sabha elections.

(Edited by Asavari Singh)