Shibu Soren Dies At 81: Former Jharkhand CM’s Big Milestones, Major Controversies

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister and co-founder of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Shibu Soren, died at the age of 81 on Monday.
Shibu Soren’s son and current Jharkhand Chief Minister, Hemant Soren, confirmed the news of his demise on X (formerly Twitter).

The tribal leader had been hospitalized at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi since the last week of June with a kidney-related issue. He was on ventilator support.

In a post on X, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital wrote: “The former Union Minister was declared dead at 8:56 am today. He was suffering from a kidney-related issue and had suffered a stroke a month and a half ago. He had been on life support for the last month.”

Grieving his father’s death, Hemant Soren shared on X: “Respected Guru Dishom has left us all. I’ve lost everything today.”

Shibu Soren: From Tribal Leader to Jharkhand’s Chief Minister

A prominent tribal leader, Shibu Soren was known for his role in championing tribal rights and being a central figure in the movement for a separate Jharkhand state. He was a founding member and long-time president of JMM. Popularly called "Guruji," Soren had a long and eventful political career marked by significant milestones and major controversies.

In 1980, Shibu Soren was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time from the Dumka constituency.

He played a crucial role in tribal agitations, including movements against land alienation. Although he lost the Lok Sabha elections in 1991, he remained a staunch figure in state politics.

He returned to Parliament in 1998 and remained a key tribal voice. Ultimately, Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar in 2000 – a major victory for the JMM and Soren.

Soren served as Union Minister for Coal in UPA-1 under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh from 2002 to 2004.

In 2005, he became the Chief Minister of Jharkhand for the first time. However, his tenure was brief as he had to resign after failing to prove a majority. He returned as Jharkhand’s Chief Minister again in 2008 and 2010, but both stints were short-lived due to political instability and the lack of a clear majority.

By 2010, Shibu Soren’s son, Hemant Soren, took over the reins and eventually became the Chief Minister in 2013. Shibu Soren remained active as the JMM patriarch.

Controversies Galore

In addition to his political milestones, Shibu Soren’s career was also marked by several controversies.

Soren and other JMM MPs were accused of accepting bribes from the Congress-led government (under P. V. Narasimha Rao) to vote against a no-confidence motion. While the case exposed serious loopholes in India’s parliamentary ethics, the Supreme Court later ruled that MPs were immune from prosecution for bribe-taking if it involved parliamentary votes.

In 2006, a Delhi court convicted Shibu Soren for the kidnapping and murder of JMM worker Shashinath Jha in 1994. It was alleged that Jha knew too much about the bribery case and had to be silenced. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, but the Delhi High Court acquitted him in 2007 due to lack of evidence.

As Coal Minister, Soren faced several allegations of irregularities and favoritism in coal allocations. Though not convicted, his tenure was allegedly marked by controversy over opaque practices.

His chief ministerial tenures were marred by failed floor tests. He was unable to prove a majority in both 2005 and 2008, forcing him to resign on both occasions.

Shibu Soren's Legacy

Despite the controversies, Shibu Soren is remembered as a steadfast tribal leader, particularly revered in the Santhal region.

Summing up the departed leader’s contribution to Indian polity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X: “Shri Shibu Soren Ji was a grassroots leader who rose through the ranks of public life with unwavering dedication to the people. He was particularly passionate about empowering tribal communities, the poor, and the downtrodden.”

The Prime Minister also shared that he spoke to Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren and expressed condolences to the family.