A diary published by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) tells it all. Shibu Soren is the president, wife Rupi is the vice-president, eldest son Durga is the general secretary, another son Hemant heads the party’s youth wing and youngest son Basant is the party’s organisation secretary.

This, according to Shibu Soren’s rivals, makes the JMM a complete family party. But Guruji, as the 65-year-old tribal leader is widely known in the state for his firebrand role in the creation of Jharkhand, always had a simple answer: “I had set up the party. What’s wrong if I, my wife and sons are its office-bearers?”

That also takes care of the criticism that he had held the post of the party’s president since 1992.

Ever since it was set up in 1973, the party has suffered rebellion twice on the issue of dynasty. In 1999, party vice-president Suraj Mandal quit the party when Soren fielded Rupi as the party candidate in the Lok Sabha polls. Mandal subsequently formed the Jharkhand Vikas Dal.

The Sorendominance still hurts Mandal. “We had built the JMM by way of struggle for years. Now it has become a private company of the Sorens,” he says.

Again in 2004, party vice-president Stephen Marandi protested Soren’s decision to give Hemant a party ticket for the Lok Sabha polls. After Hemant lost the polls, Marandi quit the party and contested the 2005 Assembly elections as an Independent.

Marandi, now contesting the Lok Sabha elections as an Independent from Rajmahal, is equally critical of the JMM chief. “Although I am not a psephologist, I can say that this family party of Soren is on the threshold of disintegration. After the poll results are out, everybody will see this happening,” he says.

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