Kalpana Soren may be named Chief Minister if JMM leader is arrested by ED. 10 points on Hemant Soren's wife

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren's Tuesday was spent being chased by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), who accused him of being ‘absconding’. The Jharkhand CM on Tuesday travelled to Ranchi and held meetings with his party and other alliance MLAs, ahead of his scheduled questioning by the ED in a money laundering case.

The Enforcement Directorate will question Soren on Wednesday in Ranchi in a money laundering case probe linked to an alleged land scam.

Speculations that Hemant Soren's wife Kalpana Soren might become the next chief minister of Jharkhand were rife amid huge drama over Hemant Soren's apparent 'disappearance' for around 40 hours when ED searched his Delhi house on Monday. Kaplana Soren's possible ascension echoes a similar move by Lalu prasad Yadav, who made wife Rabri Devi the chief minister of Bihar when he was arrested. 

Amid allegations of being “absconding” by Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and “untraceable” by ED, media reports citing JMM officials informed that the Jharkhand CM travelled from national capital Delhi to Ranchi undertaking a journey of over 1250 kilometres. 

The federal agency questioned Hemant Soren on January 20, and later issued a fresh summons, asking him to confirm his availability for questioning on either January 29 or January 31.

Who is Kalpana Soren?

-Kalpana Soren is not from any political background and is originally from Odisha's Mayurbhanj district.

-Born in Ranchi in 1946, Kalpana Soren studied engineering and MBA.

-Kalpana Soren got married to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on February 7, 2006

-Kalpana and Hemant Soren have two children -- Nikhil and Ansh.

-Kalpana's father is a businessman and her mother is a homemaker. Kalpana is involved in business and charity work.

-Kalpana Soren reportedly runs a school and is involved in organic farming.

-Since Kalpana Soren is not an MLA, her becoming the CM will need a present MLA to vacate his or her seat. 

-Hemant Soren's alliance legislators have signed a letter of support without any name as speculations are rife that the chief minister's wife Kalpana Soren will be handed over the reins in the event of his arrest.

-According to BJP's Nishikant Dubey, Hemant's brother Basant Soren and sister-in-law Sita Soren did not agree to the proposal of Kalpana becoming the CM

-Kalpana Soren was present at the meetings of the state's ministers and party MLAs in Ranchi on Tuesday. The meetings took place amid BJP claims that Hemant Soren absconded after the ED did not find him in his Delhi residence. Hemant Soren reached Ranchi from Delhi by road and held two meetings.