PM Modi condoles death of Rupi Soren, mother of Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren
Synopsis
Rupi Soren, the matriarch of Jharkhand's most prominent political family and wife of the late JMM founder Shibu Soren, has died in Ranchi at around 80. Her death comes just over a year after her husband's passing — leaving Chief Minister Hemant Soren without both parents within 14 months, and closing a chapter central to Jharkhand's founding story.
Key Takeaways
Rupi Soren , mother of Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren , passed away on Wednesday at Hill View Hospital, Ranchi , aged around 80 .
PM Modi posted condolences on X, recalling her work for tribal community empowerment.
Her death follows that of husband Shibu Soren , who died in Delhi on 4 August 2025 .
Shibu Soren was a founding figure of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and a former Jharkhand Chief Minister.
The JMM described her demise as an irreparable loss for Jharkhand and the country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, 8 October 2026, mourned the passing of Rupi Soren, mother of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, and recalled her lifelong contribution to empowering tribal communities across the state. Modi conveyed his condolences directly to the Soren family in a post on social media platform X.
Who Was Rupi Soren
Rupi Soren, aged around 80, passed away on Wednesday at Hill View Hospital on Bariatu Road in Ranchi, where she had been receiving treatment for a prolonged illness. Her condition deteriorated on Wednesday, prompting doctors to place her on life support. Doctors Deepak Gupta and Ujjwal Rai subsequently confirmed her death.
She had married Shibu Soren on 1 January 1962, and remained a steadfast partner throughout his decades-long political and social struggle. While Shibu Soren immersed himself in the Jharkhand movement, Rupi Soren anchored the family and shouldered its responsibilities largely on her own.
What PM Modi Said
In his post on X, Prime Minister Modi wrote: 'Pained by the passing of Rupi Soren Ji. She always worked for empowering tribal communities. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with Hemant Ji, Kalpana Ji and their entire family.'
Loss Follows Shibu Soren's Death Last Year
The passing of Rupi Soren comes roughly a year after the death of her husband, Shibu Soren, who died in Delhi on 4 August 2025. That death was described as a major personal and political blow for the Soren family. Rupi Soren was widely seen as the family's emotional anchor in the period that followed. Shibu Soren was among the most prominent architects of the Jharkhand movement and a founding figure of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). He also served as Jharkhand Chief Minister.
JMM Calls Her Passing an Irreparable Loss
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha described Rupi Soren as a symbol of struggle, sacrifice, and patience — someone who remained steadfast alongside Shibu Soren even after his death last year. The party called her demise an irreparable loss for Jharkhand and the nation, saying her absence would be deeply painful for Hemant Soren, his family, and the people of the state.
Significance for Jharkhand's Tribal Politics
Rupi Soren's role was never merely ceremonial. As the wife of the man credited with leading the decades-long struggle for a separate Jharkhand state, she occupied a unique moral authority among tribal communities in the region. Her death closes a chapter that stretches back to the grassroots mobilisation of the 1960s, and comes at a politically sensitive moment for the JMM-led government in the state. With the Soren family having lost both its patriarch and matriarch within little over a year, the political and emotional landscape for Chief Minister Hemant Soren has shifted considerably.
Point of View
But its political resonance in Jharkhand runs deeper. She and Shibu Soren were not merely a political couple — they were the founding household of a movement that carved a new state out of Bihar. With both now gone within 14 months, Hemant Soren enters a new phase of leadership without the generational authority his parents embodied. Whether that makes him more vulnerable or more autonomous within the JMM's tribal base is a question Jharkhand politics will answer in the months ahead.
NationPress
8 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Rupi Soren die?
Rupi Soren had been undergoing treatment for a prolonged illness at Hill View Hospital on Bariatu Road in Ranchi. Her condition deteriorated on Wednesday, and doctors placed her on life support before her death was confirmed by Doctors Deepak Gupta and Ujjwal Rai.
What did PM Modi say about Rupi Soren's passing?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X: 'Pained by the passing of Rupi Soren Ji. She always worked for empowering tribal communities. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with Hemant Ji, Kalpana Ji and their entire family.'
When did Shibu Soren pass away, and how is his death connected?
Shibu Soren, Rupi Soren's husband and the founding figure of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, died in Delhi on 4 August 2025. Rupi Soren's death comes roughly a year later, meaning the Soren family has lost both its patriarch and matriarch within 14 months.
What did the JMM say about Rupi Soren?
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha described Rupi Soren as a symbol of struggle, sacrifice, and patience, and called her passing an irreparable loss for Jharkhand and the country. The party said her absence would be deeply painful for Hemant Soren, his family, and the people of the state.
