Ranchi, : Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) working president Hemant Soren took oath as the 11th chief minister of Jharkhand on Sunday at an event that was considered opposition’s show of strength.
Governor Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office and secrecy to Soren at Mohrabadi Ground here around 2 pm, amid a galaxy of politicians and dignitaries.
Congress Legislature Party Leader Alamgir Alam, state Congress president Rameshwar Oraon and RJD MLA Satyanand Bhokta are also likely to take oath as cabinet ministers at the ceremony.
This will be the 44-year-old JMM leader’s second stint as Jharkhand chief minister.
In the just-conducted Assembly elections, the JMM-Congress-Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) alliance triumphed over the BJP, winning 47 seats in the 81-member House.
Four other MLAs—three from the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) and one from the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist)—have also extended their support to the three-party coalition.
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, CPI (M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI General Secretary D Raja, DMK president MK Stalin Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his Madhya Pradesh counterpart Kamal Nath attended the event.
Bhattacharya also stated that Soren had invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the ceremony. Modi however expressed his inability to attend the event due to his busy schedule. He has assured Soren that he would visit Jharkhand later, the JMM leader added.
In a gesture of goodwill, outgoing chief minister Raghubar Das has said that he would be attending the event. (Agencies)
