Former Jharkhand chief minister and JMM executive president Hemant Soren’s wife Kalpana Murmu Soren dropped enough hints while filing nomination for Gandey bypoll that the arrest of her husband will not disturb their party’s preparation for elections in the state.

Kalpana Murmu Soren, 48, was born in Kapurthala in Punjab where her father was posted as an Army subedar and is a native of Bahalda in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha. Soon after filing nomination for the Gandey bypoll at the Giridih district collectorate on Monday afternoon in the presence of father-in-law Shibu Soren and chief minister Champai Soren told reporters: “Fascist forces might have put her husband in jail as part of a conspiracy but they have failed to confine his thoughts which is present in hearts of every Jharkhandi and they will give a befitting reply to such forces in the bypoll and in the Lok Sabha polls.”

The bypoll in Gandey is scheduled on May 20. The BJP has pitted Dilip Verma in the byelection. The bypoll was necessitated following the resignation of sitting MLA Sarfaraz Ahmed of the JMM in December last year. Sarfaraz was nominated to the Rajya Sabha earlier this year.

Kalpana, who has completed her schooling from Kendriya Vidyalaya in different parts of the country (where her father was posted), has completed BTech from Bhubaneswar. She completed her MBA from Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning, Pune. She has been a homemaker and had kept a distance from active politics.

“She used to accompany Hemant ji to public functions but had remained aloof from active politics. However she used to advise Hemant ji during difficult times especially in 2022 when it became evident that Enforcement Directorate (ED) was hell bent on arresting Hemant Soren,” said a senior JMM leader of Ranchi who is close to JMM patriarch Shibu and Hemant.

Kalpana entered into active politics with a speech on the JMM’s foundation day on March 4 at Giridih (Gandey comes under Giridih district but falls under the Koderma Lok Sabha constituency) has two sons and runs a play school at Bariatu in Ranchi.

“She had been content with her play school and looking after the studies of her two sons (Nikhil and Ansh). However, as it became evident in January this year that the ED would be arresting Hemant in an alleged money laundering charges pertaining to land scam she was mentally prepared to plunge into politics by Hemant ji. Ever since her debut on March 4 at Giridih she has impressed one and all with her speech and ability to connect with masses. She also impressed when the INDIA bloc managed Ulgulan Nyay Maharally at Ranchi earlier this month sharing stage with Sunita Kejriwal (jailed Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s wife),” added the JMM leader.