Hemant Soren To Take Oath As Jharkhand Chief Minister Today For Fourth Term

Hemant Soren is set to be sworn in as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand today after leading the INDIA alliance to a decisive victory in the recently concluded assembly elections.

Jharkhand Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar will administer the oath of office and secrecy to Soren, marking the 49-year-old leader's fourth time taking the oath as Chief Minister.

Photo Credit: PTI

However, Soren may be the only minister to take the oath today, as the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has not yet received a list of ministers from its ally, the Congress party. Sources suggest the cabinet will be expanded next week after the new government secures a vote of confidence.

The JMM is expected to retain six ministerial positions in addition to the Chief Minister's role. The Congress is likely to receive four cabinet berths, while Tejashwi Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) will take one. Meanwhile, the CPI-ML, which has two MLAs, will extend external support to the government.

The swearing-in ceremony will take place at the Morhabadi ground in Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand, and is expected to be attended by prominent leaders of the INDIA bloc.

Among those anticipated are Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

The INDIA alliance secured a second consecutive term in Jharkhand with a commanding victory last week. The JMM won 34 of the state's 81 assembly seats, while the Congress claimed 16, the RJD four, and the CPI-ML two.

In his victory speech, Soren expressed gratitude to the people of Jharkhand for their continued trust.

"This victory reflects the aspirations of the people, and we will work towards fulfilling them. This is a victory of the people and their vision for a peaceful and progressive Jharkhand," he said.

Ahead of the ceremony, Soren and his wife Kalpana Murmu Soren visited Delhi, where they met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss a collaborative roadmap for the state. During their visit, they also extended invitations to various INDIA bloc leaders to attend the swearing-in event.