Jharkhand CM expands cabinet, inducts nine ministers

Ranchi, Oct.8 (ANI): Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda expanded his cabinet on Friday by inducting nine new ministers.

The ministers took oath of office and secrecy before Jharkhand Governor M O H Farooq.

The swearing in ceremony was held at the Raj Bhavan.

Out of the nine ministers, three are from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), four from Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and one each from Janata Dal-United and All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU).

The newly appointed ministers are Bimla Pradhan and Baidyanath Ram, Satyanand Jha (BJP), Mathura Prasad Mahato, Haji Hussain Ansari, Hemlal Murmu, Champai Soren (JMM), Gopal Krishan Patar alias Raja Peter (JD-U) and Chandra Prakash Choudhary (AJSU).

Speaking to the media persons, Arjun Munda, said the members of his cabinet would carry out their assigned duties as per the expectations of the masses.

"The ministers today took oath before the Governor. I would like to extent my gratitude to the honourable governor for carrying out the task. It is my earnest hope that this new cabinet would carry out their duties towards the state with full responsibility and they would stand on the expectations, aims and ambitions of the public," said Arjun Munda.

"We would like to commence work, keeping these resolutions in mind and we hope our functioning will benefit the state," he added.

The portfolios of the new ministers are yet to be announced.

"We will extend full support to them in all their good deeds but we will raise objections to all their wrong doings," said Ravindra Prasad Singh, a Congress MLA.

Arjun Munda became the Chief Minister for the third time, heading a BJP- JMM-AJSU and JD (U) coalition government.

The expansion was delayed due to talks on sharing the portfolios between the allies. The state can have a maximum of 12 ministers. (ANI)