Ranchi:

The Income Tax department is conducting raids at the residence of Sunil Srivastava, allegedly a close aide and personal secretary of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, said sources on Saturday.

According to the sources, nine different locations are covered in the raids in Ranchi and Jamshedpur.

More details are awaited.

Notably, this comes days ahead of the assembly elections in Jharkhand. CM Soren-led Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), in alliance with Congress, RJD and left parties is facing major competition from the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA alliance in the state.

Earlier, Jharkhand High Court in June had granted bail to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in the alleged land scam case. Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in January on charges related to an alleged land scam and money laundering.

The 81-member Jharkhand Assembly will go to polls in two phases on November 13 and 20, with vote counting scheduled for November 23.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Ranchi:

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren shared photos today with “another Hemant”. Theatre artist Munna Lohra, who looks like and styles himself after the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha Leader, met the Chief Minister at his residence in Ranchi today.

The two then posed for several photos the Chief Minister later shared on his official handle on X. “One Hemant meets another Hemant. Met theatre artist Munna Lohra and his family,” read the caption.

Munna Lohra, a resident of Ranchi’s Hatia area, met the Chief Minister and told him that he was fortunate to resemble him.

एक हेमन्त की दूसरे हेमन्त से मुलाक़ात।

रंगमंच के सधे हुए कलाकार श्री मुन्ना लोहरा एवं उनके परिवार से मुलाकात एवं लंबी बातचीत हुई। pic.twitter.com/EsX9kilQux

— Hemant Soren (@HemantSorenJMM) September 25, 2024

He also said he was a big fan of the Chief Minister and considered him an idol. During the meeting, Mr Lohra also spoke to the Chief Minister about the problems faced by theatre artistes. The Chief Minister assured him of better policies for these artistes and said the Jharkhand government was committed to providing them with a better platform.

“I have seen theatre artistes from close and I am aware of their problems. In the coming days, I will work to provide them with a better platform. Jharkhand’s artistes and sportspersons are very talented. They have made the state proud on many occasions. We will bring a policy so that theatre artistes can live with dignity,” the Chief Minister said.

On the political front, Mr Soren is now gearing up for the Assembly polls in Jharkhand due later this year.