Kherwal Soren

Kalipada Soren (born 9 December 1957) or Kherwal Soren is an Indian Santali playwright, author, editor and politician, currently serving as the Member of Parliament for Jhargram in West Bengal.

Career Kherwal Soren, born as Kalipada Soren in 1957 at Raghunathpur near Jhargram in West Bengal, graduated from Seva Bharati Mahavidyalaya and passed M.A in political science from Rabindra Bharati University. He regularly edits a literary magazine Kherwal Jaher. Soren has written 31 plays and a number of stories and poems in the Santhali language. He translated Anubhab, a Bengali novel of Dibyendu Palit into Santhali. He received the Sarada Prasad Kisku award for his literary contribution. He retired from State Bank of India. In 2007, Soren was awarded the Sahitya Akademi for his play Chet Re Cikayana. He was conferred the Padma Shri award in 2022.

Political career He contested the 2024 Lok Sabha election from the Trinamool Congress from Jhargram Lok Sabha constituency and won to became first time Member of Parliament.

2026 Rebellion

In June 2026, almost immediately after the massive Trinamool Congress defeat, around 20 MPs of TMC allegedly declared rebellion from their Party, and presented their written wish to join Bhartiya Janata Party. This group was led by Kakoli Ghosh.

Later, on 14 June, 20 MPs, including Soren, signed a formal letter declaring their split from Trinamool Congress as to merge with the Nationalist Citizen Party of India (NCPI). They formally submitted the letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

The total strength of TMC in Lok Sabha had been 28, so that a number of 20 MPS made it eligible for splitting from the Party, as per the Indian Defection laws, so as to escape the anti-defection disqualification.