Ex-Jharkhand CM Champai Soren joins BJP
Ranchi (PTI): Two days after he quit the JMM, former Jharkhand chief minister Champai Soren joined the BJP on Friday.
Soren along with a large number of his supporters crossed over to the saffron camp in the presence of Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at a ceremony here.
The veteran politician visibly became emotional after he was welcomed into the saffron fold.
The joining of the 67-year-old tribal leader to the BJP was seen as a shot in the arm for the saffron party's efforts to boost its connection with the Scheduled Tribes, a community which has been the main voter base of the JMM.
He was a close aide of JMM supremo Shibu Soren.
Champai Soren quit the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Wednesday, asserting that the state government's present style of functioning and its policies compelled him to leave the party he served for many years.
Champai has earned the nickname 'Jharkhand's Tiger' for his contribution to the fight to create a separate state in the 1990s.
Jharkhand was carved out of the southern part of Bihar in 2000.
The elections to the 81-member assembly are due later this year.
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4 militants arrested in Manipur
Imphal (PTI): Four militants belonging to two banned outfits have been arrested in Manipur for possession of firearms and involvement in extortion, a police statement said on Saturday.
Three militants belonging to the Kangleipak Communist Party (Peoples' War Group) outfit were arrested on Thursday for possessing firearms and extorting people, it said.
They have been identified as Chongtham Shyamchandra Singh (23), hailing from Imphal West district, and Maibam Suraj Khan (32) and Boghimayum Sahid Khan (30), who hail from Imphal East district.
Three 5.56 mm INSAS live cartridges, an empty case of .32 ammunition and three mobile phones were seized from their possession.
In another incident, a militant belonging to the banned United National Liberation Front (Ningon Macha group) was arrested on Thursday for illegal possession of firearms.
The arrested militant was identified as Sangomshumpham Warish (25), who hails from Lilong Haorou in Thoubal district. A .32 pistol and ammunition were seized from his possession, it added.
Meanwhile, security forces seized arms and ammunition during an area domination exercise in S Mongpi ridge in Kangpokpi district on Thursday.
A .303 rifle, a 9mm pistol, two SBBL guns, a 5.56mm INSAS LMG magazine, two hand grenades, two detonators, 16 cartridges and three tear smoke grenades were seized, it added.
