Ranchi: With the buzz over JMM President Hemant Soren returning as Jharkhand Chief Minister getting louder on Wednesday, his close aide Champai Soren resigned as the CM barely five months after taking oath.

Hemant Soren is presently out on bail in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam.

Champai Soren submitted his resignation to Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan at the Raj Bhavan on Wednesday, following which Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) supremo Hemant Soren handed over a Letter of Support to the Governor, staking claim to form the new government.

Congress' Jharkhand in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir was also present along with the JMM leaders.

After handing over his resignation, Champai Soren said, "When the leadership had changed, I was given responsibility. You know the sequence of events. After Hemant Soren came back, we (the coalition partners) picked him as our leader. I have now resigned. I am following the decision taken by the coalition."

Champai Soren was sworn in on February 2, just two days after two-time Chief Minister Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the land scam case.

Earlier on Wednesday during a meeting of the JMM-led coalition's legislators and leaders at Hemant Soren's residence here, Champai Soren offered to quit the Chief Minister and proposed Hemant Soren's name, which was agreed to by those present at the meeting.

Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Jharkhand Congress President Rajesh Thakur, and prominent leaders of all JMM allies attended the meeting.

The political scenario in the state changed on June 28 when Hemant Soren secured bail from the Jharkhand High Court in the land scam case.

It was also decided at the meeting that the coalition will be led by Hemant Soren in the run-up to the Assembly polls scheduled in Jharkhand later this year.

(IANS)