For the first time, Jharkhand is witnessing a split in the family of Shibu Soren. 

The cause is Sita Soren who resigned as a member, MLA of the Soren-founded ruling party JMM and joined the BJP. 

While it has rocked the JMM, most family members had anticipated it. Today, ahead of the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls. the gainer was the BJP for one important reason. 

She has the strength to divide the tribal community in the home turf of Shibu Soren - Santhal Pargana division with Dumka as its headquarter town. 

Shibu Soren’s family has its own background. He who married to Roopi Soren after his first wife expired, has three sons Durga Soren, Hemant Soren, Basant Soren, and one daughter Anjali Soren.  

Durga, husband of Sita Soren, who had died at his Bokaro residence in his sleep on May 21, 2009, aged 40, was Shibu Soren’s eldest son from the first wife.

Durga Soren was at the forefront of the battle for a separate state of Jharkhand. As the Soren family moved on without him, his wife and three daughters  Rajshree, Jayshree and Vijayshree formed a separate power centre within the JMM.

Being half daughter-in -law, widow Sita Soren has never been known to be in cheers inside the Soren family.

Hemant, Ex CM, had projected his wife Kalpana as his “successor”.This did not materialise primarily due to fear of revolt by Sita. 

Minutes before he was arrested by the ED in money laundering linked with the land scam in Ranchi on February 1, Hemant resigned as CM. 

In view of possible rebellion in the party and family, he, instead of putting up Kalpana as his successor, backed Champai Soren as his successor. 

Also, a rumour was spread that Sita Soren who had been upset with her 'saotela' (half) brother-in-law Hemant and his family “ will be nominated as Minister in the Champai Soren government.

This prompted Sita to attend the Champai Soren pre oath taking function. However, when she was not included in the Cabinet, she lost her cool. 

She not only quit as member of the JMM and as its MLA from Jama constituency in Sathal Pargana, but also joined the BJP. 

In a letter to the Speaker of the Assembly, she has claimed that she was being neglected and isolated in the state's ruling JMM. 

Sita Soren joined the BJP in the presence of its national general secretary Vinod Tawde and Jharkhand poll in-charge Laxmikant Bajpai at its headquarters in New Delhi. 

The three-term MLA's decision to join the BJP is a shot in the arm for the party's efforts to boost its connection with the scheduled tribes, a community which has been the main vote base of the JMM.

Information from insiders of the BJP indicate that Sita Soren can be fielded as the party’s candidate in the forthcoming LS polls in Jharkhand.