Madhu Koda sworn in J'khand CM with three Ministers

Ranchi, Sep 18 (UNI) UPA-backed Independent MLA Madhu Koda was today sworn in as the youngest ever Chief Minister of the country along with three of his Ministerial colleagues at an impressive function at the historic Morhabadi ground here in Jharkhand.

With this Mr Koda, the fourth Chief Minister of the state, touched another milestone in his relatively low profile political career when he became the third Independent MLA to attend the highest post after Mr Bishwanath Das of Orissa (1971) and Dr F A Khonglam of Meghalaya (2002).

This afternoon, in a marked deviation from his preferred jeans and jacket, 35-year-old Koda wore a white safari suit to take the oath.

Mr Kamlesh Singh, Mr Enos Ekka and Mr Harinarayan Rai were sworn in as Ministers after him. All the four were instrumental in toppling the erstwhile Arjun Munda government.

Significantly, all the four, who took the oath, withdrew their support to the erstwhile Arjun Munda-led NDA dispensation, reducing the 18-month-old government to a minority.

Prominent among those present at the swearing-in were Coal Minister and chairman of UPA's co-ordination committee Sibu Soren, Union Food Processing Minister Subodh Kant Sahay, Mr Koda's immediate predecessor Arjun Munda, former Speaker Inder Singh Namdhari and former Deputy Chief Minister Stephen Marandi.

Mr Koda's predecessors besides Mr Munda were Mr Babulal Marandi and Mr Shibu Soren.

Mr Marandi was the first Chief Minister after Jharkhand was formed on November 15, 2000.

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